Unbroken (Demi Lovato album)
Unbroken is the third studio album by American singer Demi Lovato. It was released on September 20, 2011, by Hollywood Records. Primarily a pop record, Lovato described the album as "more mature" and with more R&B elements than her previous material, citing Rihanna as the major influence. While some of the album's lyrical content was heavily influenced by Lovato's personal struggles, it also deals with lighter subjects, such as love, self-empowerment, and having fun. Contributions to the album's production came from a wide range of producers, including Toby Gad, Ryan Tedder, Timbaland, Jim Beanz and Rock Mafia.
Unbroken
September 20, 2011
July 2010 – August 2011
- Westlake Recording Studios, Dreamlab Studios, Chalice Studios, Strawberrybee Studios, Dining Room Studios and Kite Studios (Los Angeles, California)
- Patriot Studios (Denver, Colorado)
- Rock Mafia Studios (Santa Monica, California)
- Hit Factory Criteria (Miami, Florida)
- Sunset Sound Studio (Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania)
52:36
Lovato initially began recording her third studio album in 2010 before going on tour with the Jonas Brothers on their Live in Concert Tour. After withdrawing from the tour to seek treatment for physical and emotional issues, Lovato continued work on the album and described the recording process as therapeutic. She collaborated with artists such as Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Dev, Iyaz, and Jason Derulo on several tracks. Commercially, Unbroken peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States, with sales exceeding 97,000 copies in its first week of release, and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[4] The album also performed well internationally, peaking in the top 40 in several countries worldwide. It was certified platinum in Brazil, and gold in Chile and the Philippines.
Unbroken received mixed reviews from music critics, with some commending its ballad tracks, empowering message and Lovato's vocals, whereas others criticized its number of "party songs" and found the album to be immature. "Skyscraper" was released the lead single from Unbroken in July 2011, peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, making it Lovato's third highest-charting single to date, behind "This Is Me" and her most successful until "Sorry Not Sorry" peaked at number six in 2017. The song was well received by critics, who felt it to be a highlight on the album. "Give Your Heart a Break" was released as the second and final single from Unbroken in January 2012, which peaked at number sixteen in the United States and has since been certified 4x platinum by the RIAA. Lovato promoted the album with several radio and television guest appearances, her second headlining tour A Special Night with Demi Lovato, and the MTV television documentary Demi Lovato: Stay Strong.
Background and development[edit]
After the release of her second studio album, Here We Go Again (2009), Lovato was dedicated to her acting career, appearing on the Disney Channel television series Sonny with a Chance and television film Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. In July 2010, Lovato began working on her third album and recorded the first track with producer Dapo Torimiro.[5] The same month, Lovato said the album was "creating a new sound", it would be "fun. A little more R&B/pop."[6] Later, in conversation with AHN, she quoted Rihanna and Keri Hilson as influences.[7] At the time, Lovato revealed she had not rushed the album, stating: "Every other album I haven’t had time to really take my time and craft it like I really wanted to do because I was finding spare time between a television show, and movies, and touring, and then all over again. I've worked on [the album] for the past year and really gone hard over the past few months, but you can definitely tell that I took my time with this record."[8]
In August 2010, Lovato began touring with the Jonas Brothers on their Jonas Brothers Live in Concert Tour with the cast of Camp Rock 2.[9] That November, Lovato left the tour in order to enter a treatment facility for "emotional and physical issues". She completed inpatient treatment in January 2011 and returned to the recording studio for her third studio album until February.[10] In April 2011, Lovato announced that she would not return to Sonny with a Chance, stating that she was choosing to focus on music and would return to acting when she felt confident doing so.[11] In July, Lovato described the album as "more mature" than her previous sound and more fun and light than her first single, "Skyscraper", while other tracks are more intense.[12] Lovato announced the title of the album as Unbroken in August and explained: "I thought that the title really matched how I am today; I'm unbroken and I'm standing strong."[13][14]
Singles[edit]
"Skyscraper" was released as the lead single from Unbroken on July 12, 2011. The song was written by Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins and Estonian singer Kerli Kõiv and produced by Gad. The song peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Elsewhere, the song peaked at number 18 in Canada, number 9 in New Zealand, number 45 in Australia and at number 7 in the United Kingdom. The song was critically acclaimed by music critics, some of them praising Lovato's vocals and the inspirational lyrics. Lovato performed the song several times, including on the television series America's Got Talent, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Dancing with the Stars. The song was officially certified platinum in the United States in April 2012.
"Give Your Heart a Break" was released as the album's second and final single on January 23, 2012.[70] It was originally announced that the album's second single would be "Who's That Boy" featuring Dev, but it was later scrapped due to Dev's pregnancy.[71] "Give Your Heart a Break" was written and produced by Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg. Lovato performed the song at MTV's New Year's Eve on December 31, 2011, and the People's Choice Awards on January 12, 2012. The song received critical acclaim by music critics, praising the production of the song as well as Lovato's vocals. Lovato also performed the single on American Idol on March 15, 2012. The song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one on Billboard's Pop chart in September 2012. It was also certified triple platinum in the United States.
Notes