 | Tracklist:
1. All Night Long (feat. Timbaland & Missy Elliot)
2. Who's That Boy ? (feat. Dev)
3. You're My Only Shorty (feat. Iyaz)
4. Together (feat. Jason Derulo)
5. Lightweight
6. Unbroken
7. Fix A Heart
8. Hold Up
9. Mistake
10. Give Your Heart A Break
11. Skyscraper
12. In Real Life
13. My Love Is Like A Star
14. For The Love Of A Daughter
15. Rascacielo (Skyscraper - Spanish Version)
Release Date: 09/20/2011 | |
| | other reviews | caiocoletti (3.5)
As any pop album, Unbroken is one to be understood for its message, not for its details. Even though... |
On 2 Lists
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| Summary: Way better than Miley Cyrus or Selena Gomez. |
Albums released after rehab stints or any significant events in an artist's life, good or bad, are seen with different eyes. There's rarely no mention of that event through at least a song, sometimes even becoming some sort of indirect marketing (see Rihanna's domestic violence case). Last year, Demi's check in rehab for emotional issues and eating disorder put her under a rather bad light, but instead of going downhill (see Miley Cyrus), she got back on track and the stint prompted her to work on her music more, giving up acting for a while. The result is her best album yet, most of the songs having more meaning and are sung with more passion than what you would normally find nowadays on most mainstream pop records.
'Unbroken' has a bit of everything, ranging from slow, emotional ballads to club fillers. Unfortunately, it starts with the least interesting songs, all designed to be singles, devoid of any depth. All of them featuring some guests from the high profile Timbaland and Missy Elliot, to the newcomer Dev and Jason Derulo. "All Night Long" and "Who's That Boy" are catchy enough but they don't suit her as much as her peers. She always had a penchant for sweet pop tunes and ballads, not mindless club fillers. So after a full album stream, the listener will only find out how these songs are just random mainstream radio songs dragging the album down. However, songs like "Unbroken" and "Hold Up" are fun and give a new twist (a progress) to her signature pop roots, being a bit edgier. There's a clear difference between these and the pop rock numbers from her last effort, 'Here We Go Again'. These should be released instead, not the songs mentioned above, which will most likely be singles.
The album gets better from the fifth track, "Lightweight", a nice ballad about how a lover needs to take it easy on her, because she is sensitive and fragile. The instrumental mimics an orchestral arrangement but her voice brings the song to life. If there were actual instruments used, the song could've been even more powerful.
"Fix A Heart" stands out as one of the best songs here with minimal drumming, a lovely piano and Demi's more delicate voice on top, never going full power, only for the chorus. On the majority of the tracks she sings her lungs out, so this one is more of a break from all those. On contrast, the powerful first single, "Skyscraper", which describes her emotional issues and how she managed to move on and recover, shows her amazing voice building up throughout the song, with a subtle melody behind her bursting out at the end. Being sung with such sincerity the song easily strikes a chord with any listener.
Arguably the best tune here is "For the Love Of A Daughter", a song about her relationship with her alcoholic father who didn't seem to see her as a good enough reason to stop drinking and be there for her when she needed him. Demi again sings with so much sincerity and passion that she really gives the song life and meaning. This is her best song yet and a great closer to this heartfelt album.
What may be tiring however, is the fact that she sings the hell out of almost all songs here. This goes well with the slow and emotional tracks, but sometimes on the upbeat ones Demi sounds like she is trying too hard.
'Unbroken' is her best effort yet. Ignoring the first 4 songs, it's a great album, filled with songs that have meaning and more important, are better than the a lot of the mainstream crap. The ballads on this album, many for a pop record, push forward further expectations from her and really showcase her strengths. This way, she steps up above all her peers and even a lot of contemporary pop stars. 'Unbroken' has enough for her usual audience, but also for a more mature one, to which she aims for.
Highlights - "For The Love Of A Daughter", "Fix A Heart", "Unbroken", "Skyscraper"
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Good review. She's the only disney-bred artist that I can actually stand.
Digging: Walknut - Graveforests And Their Shadows Digging: Walknut - Graveforests And Their Shadows
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I should probably have done this instead of Gavin God-damn DeGraw.
Digging: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless Digging: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Thanks! I agree Tyraelxy, that's why I wanted to review this.
Irving - Haha, I read the review, and listened to the dude while reading, it's bad, really baaad. Demi Lovato is quite good IMO
Digging: Santana - Abraxas | | |
she's a cutie
Digging: Purplene - Purplene Digging: Purplene - Purplene
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So hot
Digging: Hail Spirit Noir - Pneuma Digging: Hail Spirit Noir - Pneuma
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Dammit I hate Iyaz so much. But I do love Demi, and even now, "Skyscraper" doesn't sound like it came from a former Disney starlet. I can't believe it's the same person who sang "Here We Go Again."
Also...never paid much attention to her Latin heritage until this album.
Digging: The Apples in Stereo - Fun Trick Noisemaker
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I actually really love Skyscrapr
Digging: Sigur Ros - Valtari Digging: Sigur Ros - Valtari
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La La Land is so fucking amazing I should get this 'cause Skyscraper is great too. It's good to see someone doing this kind of music well.
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i'll take disney pop stars who cut themselves and beat back up dancers for 100 trebek
Digging: Grimes - Visions Digging: Grimes - Visions
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Skyscraper was so melodramatic that it was bad. Wish that rumored Demi tape was real.
Digging: Botanist - I: The Suicide Tree / II: A Rose From the Dead Digging: Botanist - I: The Suicide Tree / II: A Rose From the Dead
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gah she's so hot! how could ppl have said she looked too fat?...outrageous
Digging: The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards Digging: The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
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a disney girl who would screw to black metal?
check.
Digging: Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials
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check 2
Digging: Dead Congregation - Graves of the Archangels Digging: Dead Congregation - Graves of the Archangels
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
The summary is so true. So much better than the other two...
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
Actually, no, fuck this. This album is absolutely terrible - legit thought I'd downloaded the wrong album or a fake leak when I listened through.
Here We Go Again was awesome, too. Such a let down.
Digging: Kate Miller-Heidke - Nightflight | | |
track 3s title made me chuckle
Digging: Every Time I Die - Ex Lives
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That single is terrible.
Digging: Jaga Jazzist - A Livingroom Hush
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
My guess is someone didn't get past the first four songs.
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la la land is the best song ever
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I like Selena as well actually, but damn if Demi isn't just the best, the best, the best. Liked her
first two albums just a LITTLE bit better than this, I felt like tracks like Got Dynamite and Quiet
were a lot more fun and showed off her vocal chops better. But (barring tracks 2, 3, & 4) this one
really slays, it's definitely a step up from her past work and a lot more mature. It's great to see
someone besides me reviewing Demi 
Digging: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Moshi Moshi Harajuku
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