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Demi is the fourth studio album by Demi Lovato, released on May 10, 2013 through Hollywood Records.


Track Listing[]

  1. Heart Attack
  2. Made In The USA
  3. Without The Love
  4. Neon Lights
  5. Two Pieces
  6. Nightingale
  7. In Case
  8. Really Don't Care
  9. Fire Starter
  10. Something That We're Not
  11. Never Been Hurt
  12. Shouldn't Come Back
  13. Warrior
  14. I Hate You, Don't Leave Me

Album Background[]

In April 2012, Demi Lovato began writing the songs from her fourth studio album, after the commercial success of her third studio album, "Unbroken."

The album was recorded during her appearance as a mentor during the second season of The X Factor.

She chose the title of the album Demi, because it was her first album intended for a more mainstream audience, and those who did not know her music.

Lovato also explained a "sequel" of the song "Skyscraper" is included. After the album was released, it was revealed that "Warrior" was intended to be a sequel of "Skyscraper".

She stated: "I'm incredibly proud of this album" and "It's better than anything I have ever done! I experimented with a variety of different sounds and poured my heart into writing these songs. I'm so excited for everyone to finally get the chance to hear them!"

On May 6, 2013, Lovato asked her Twitter followers to "unlock" the entire album by putting song titles in hashtags.

A special website lovaticsspeeduptime.com was launched, displaying all the songs next to a clock that would turn as tweets would be sent. Once a song became a trending topic, its YouTube video was made available on VEVO. All the songs were unlocked within four hours.

An iBooks-exclusive e-book titled "Demi: The Book" was released on June 11, 2013. The book gives fans behind-the-scenes access to Lovato, including never-before-seen footage and interviews. In one clip, she says that being honest and open is not only the message she's sending her fans in the book but also on her album.

Lovato said, "This album I've had enough time to really reflect on personal experiences and look back at my life after having overcome a bunch of things. I've been more aware of myself; therefore, when you listen to the album, you can really tell in the lyrics and in the emotion and everything I worked really, really hard on this album, and hopefully you'll be able to hear that."

Composition[]

Lovato described Demi as "good old American pop music", which was deeply influenced by her breakout single "Give Your Heart a Break" and she felt the "super catchy" lyrics as well as the beat of the song resonated with fans, which she wanted to further explore on the album.

According to Lovato, her previous album contained songs that she got sick of "a lot faster", so she wanted to "have songs that excited" her on the album.

The musical genres on the album range from pop rock to synthpop and bubblegum pop music.

Apart from "catchy songs" such as the mid-tempo track "Without the Love" and "emotional songs" are also included on the album. This is demonstrated on "Shouldn't Come Back" and "Warrior"; which Lovato states are too personal to perform live, comparing them to a song from Unbroken entitled "For the Love of a Daughter"

Billboard states that "Warrior" has Lovato declaring herself "a phoenix that has risen from all-too-public ashes", with emotional lyrics such as: "I've got shame, I've got scars, that I will never show/I'm a survivor, in more ways than you'll know."

Speaking of "Warrior", Lovato stated: "That song was probably the hardest and easiest song to write on the album. I was writing about personal experiences, and it's the type of song where you can't fit all of it into one song".

The theme of Americanism on the album is evident on the track "Made in the USA", a patriotic love song inspired by "American love stories" in the 1930s. The song incorporates pop, rock, and country music.

Stripped down piano ballads on Demi includes, "In Case", which contains lyrics about heartbreak and "Nightingale".

The upbeat songs "Really Don't Care" and "Something That We're Not" are produced to suit of Lovato's "overpowering pipes."

In June 2013, Lovato stated: "My life has changed so much. I am vulnerable and honest in this record, the way I've always wanted to be. I was ready to come out of the darkness".

She referred to the writing process for the album as "therapeutic", further stating: "It helped me get rid of my demons, I am a warrior now. I've been through so much in the past years, it was hard to find the courage to get out of it and write about it, I was afraid no one would understand my message. I spent so much time trying to figure out what the right thing to do was, that I got distracted along the way by fun and temptations and that's why I ended up in rehab at 18."

Chart Performance[]

"Demi" debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 110,000 copies. It was certified gold by the RIAA in September 2014.

Critical Reception[]

"Demi" generally positive reviews from music critics.

According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has a score of 64/100 based on 6 reviews.

Jason Lipshutz from Billboard gave a positive review, saying that "the singer has a strong grip on her skills as a performer, but is still chiseling away at the formula that works best for her as an artist, and is unwittingly putting that self-discovery on display here."

Jon Caramanica from The New York Times also gave a positive review, saying that it is "[an] often impressive fourth album."

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic gave a more mixed review, rating the album three stars out of five, saying that "Ultimately, this isn't an album of purpose, it's a collection of moments, and it has just enough good ones to solidify Demi Lovato's comeback."

Jody Rosen from Rolling Stone awarded the album three stars out of five, saying that "It's predictable stuff—sassy songs, lovelorn songs, a couple of pop-psych pep talks—but Lovato is good company, and her voice has gustiness and character."

Melissa Maerz from Entertainment Weekly, however, gave the album a mixed review and graded it C+, saying that "it's too bad that her new album Demi, sounds like such a decisive return to teen pop. Transformed from an edgier young woman back into America's sweetheart."

Marc Hirsh from The Boston Globe was also mixed, saying that "Demi sounds like Lovato's grasping for hits, when she used to sound like she was making music and having fun."

Melinda Newman from HitFix gave the album a B-, commenting "The problem with Demi is that too much of the music here is so generic that it could be any teen queen delivering these tunes."

However, she went on to conclude "For those who are looking for a largely uptempo album that fits squarely into much of the pop landscape on radio today, Demi will be a pleasing fit."

Navigation[]

Demi Lovato
Don't Forget, Here We Go Again, Unbroken, Demi, Confident, Tell Me You Love Me, Dancing With The Devil...The Art Of Starting Over
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