ALBUM REVIEW: Demi Lovato's Confident Track-By-Track
In 2008, Disney Channel introduced us to someone who would end up taking the world by storm. The famous starlet, Demi Lovato, was offered a role in Camp Rock, a movie about finding yourself within the music and learning to have confidence in yourself. It pretty much went on from there.
Everything seemed to be going great for Lovato but behind closed doors, she was suffering with depression, self harm, eating disorders, and bipolar disorder. In 2010, she decided to leave the tour with the Jonas Brothers to check herself in a treatment center to help with her personal issues. Later that year, she made an explosive comeback with single ‘Skyscraper’.
Fast forward 5 years and Demi Lovato had become one of the most inspiring artist in the media. With her powerful vocals and talented lyrics, there’s no wonder why she’s adored by many fans, aka Lovatics. In fact, her last, self-titled album, DEMI, debuted at number three in the US Billboard 200.
Now, the long awaited fifth album is finally released! Confident dropped last night at midnight and fans were quick to listen.
So finally, after that long intro, we can finally move on to the point of this article. Here is a track-by-track review of this blessing.
CONFIDENT
(Demi Lovato, Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Max Martin)
As her second single off the album, you already know pretty much everything about it. It’s all about being confident (obviously) and being a badass, basically. It ends just as empowering as it starts. With a strong beat and fierce lyrics, this was the perfect choice as an intro for the album. Not to mention the fact that it’s literally named after the album.
BEST LINE: ‘I used to hold my freak back, now I’m letting go. I make my own choice, bitch/yeah, I run this show.’
RATE: 7/10 simply because of the repetitive chorus, but other than that, it’s a jam.
COOL FOR THE SUMMER
(Demi Lovato, Savan Kotecha, Martin, Alexander Kronlund, Ali Payami)
Her first single off the album was definitely her most explicit singles ever. It’s a great club tune with sick beats and even better vocals. The song is definitely not one you’d listen to with your grandma but who knows? Maybe she’ll like it, too. Sexual lyrics shocked fans in the best way possible. We’re not exactly sure if it’s about experimenting with sexuality or if it’s simply about partying but it’s great nonetheless.
BEST LINE: ‘Got my mind on your body and your body on my mind. Gotta taste for the cherry, I just need to take a bite.’
RATE: 7/10
OLD WAYS
(Olivia Waithe, Jason Evigan, Babydaddy, Scott Hoffman, Mitch Allan)
Such a jam! I remember when the snippet of this song was released, I was so pumped for it. The beat drop is my absolute favorite part! How I interpret the song is about someone’s past and not wanting to go back to it. About being happy with who you are now and being strong enough to not fall back into old habits. It’s reflective and even has a techno-y vibe at parts.
BEST LINE: ‘It was fun playing with knives until a blade stuck in the left side of my chest.’ or ‘Who knew it’d be so bright without the blindfold.’
RATE: 7.5/10
FOR YOU
(Johan Carlsson, Dalton Grant, Susan H. Cantanzaro, Ali Payami, Peter Carlsson)
Wow. That’s one of the only words floating through my head right now. Her vocals are jaw dropping. The way it squeaks a bit at emotional or high notes gets me so heart eyes emoji, y’know? I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t like the song much at all at first, but once I payed attention to the lyrics, I fell in love. The chorus reminds me a bit of an Enrique Iglesias sound. The song is about doing whatever possible for someone you care for or love very much but getting nothing in return. It’s about doing the impossible for someone who doesn’t really deserve it. The lyrics are very relatable for anyone going through a tough time with their significant other or an unrequited love of a sort. All in all, I really like the song.
BEST LINE: ‘Reasons for my hope, all make me a big joke I already know’
RATE: 8/10
STONE COLD
(Demi Lovato, Laleh Pourkarim, Gustaf Thörn)
Okay, I have so much to say about this song. Let me just tell you, this song is ah-mazing! This is definitely one of my favorites off the album, if not my actual favorite. It’s so sad and heartbreaking and I think part of my soul died. I don’t know whether I should start with how great her voice is in it, the lyrics, or the music. Everything about this song is perfect. Demi Lovato pours so much emotion into this song and it’s evident. With every note, she gives it her all. The lyrics, oh my god, they are absolutely beautiful. The song can be a nice comfort pillow if you’re going through a heartbreak. It’s basically a story about a person who is still in love with their ex who has a new significant other. It’s about coming to terms with it and learning to let go and be happy for them.
BEST LINE:
(Let me just give you my top three)
RATE: 10/10 would recommend.
KINGDOM COME
(Demi Lovato, Julia Michaels, Steve Mac, Amethyst Amelia Kelly)
Another one of my favorites, Kingdom Come is yet another one of Demi’s finest works. Very different from her old stuff, but then again, so is the rest of the album. I was pleasantly surprised when Iggy’s part came up. I was a little wary about having Iggy on the track because honestly, I expected it to ruin the song. Not because I dislike her, but because I didn’t expect her to fit so well with Demi’s music. Demi’s powerful vocals and music style differentiates a lot from Iggy’s rapping and music style but they worked! Iggy absolutely killed her part, making the song even better than expected. Overall, an amazing track
BEST LINE: ‘All the demons cry ’cause you and I found love in a broken place.’
Rate: 9.5/10
WAITIN FOR YOU
(Demi Lovato, Julia Michaels, Evigan, Steve Mac)
A very different music style. I know I’ve said this a lot but this one is especially different. It’s a good song, not one of my favorites, but good. As always, her voice killed it. She never ceases to amaze me with her talented voice. Sometimes I can’t even make thoughts about it and I sort of sit there, eyes wide in awe. That’s kind of how I felt with this one.
BEST LINE: ‘When the lights go down and the sun hits ground, you should know that I won’t back down.’
RATE: 7.5/10
WILDFIRE
(Ryan Tedder, Nicole Morier, Tor Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen, Stargate, Mitch Allan)
It’s no secret that Wildfire is one of the fan favorites and I can totally see why! The song is very smooth and has a very sensual edge to it. I can imagine it being in one of those club/party scenes in a movie and having it play while the actual party is muted and in slow motion. In my opinion, this song is single worthy. I also like how this song is one of the chillest tracks. Her voice is very mellow and soft, a huge contrast from her usual loud power notes.
BEST LINE: ‘Set me free like a wildfire.’
RATE: 9.5/10
LIONHEART
(Mac, Ina Wroldsen)
I can tell this song is one of Lovato’s favorites since she associates it a lot with Buddy, her puppy who recently passed away. The fact that she dedicates it to him makes my heart swell with fondness. The song is very swaying. I can imagine the crowd swaying their arms and bodies slowly left to right during this song. Very powerful, very uplifting. Her range is very well shown off in this song.
BEST LINE: ‘And my love will be your armor tonight.’
RATE: 8/10
YES
(Lovato, Pourkarim, Thörn)
I am 99.9% sure this song is dedicated to Wilmer. I do like the song very much, I find it very sweet and honest. I like how it starts with a very sensual sound and edgy feel then the chorus hits and it takes a complete spin. The whole chorus makes me smile. It’s all very mellow and easy then she belts out that high note and you have to like take a second to recover. Other than that, I really don’t have much to say about it. It’s a very cute, lovey song.
BEST LINE: ‘And I can’t promise that it’s gonna be fine. Here I am if you’re ready to try.’
RATE: 7/10
FATHER (Lovato, Pourkarim)
This song is arguably her most personal song ever. It’s very specific, as if it were a letter written to her father, Patrick Lovato, who passed away earlier last year. Out of all the songs on the album, this is definitely the most heartbreaking and emotional. If you wanna have a good cry, I suggest listening to this. In the song, she admits she sometimes feels that she hates him but doesn’t want to feel this way. I teared up the first time I heard this song. It is a pretty heavy song but it’s absolutely beautiful. Another one of my favorites.
BEST LINE: Literally the whole song.
RATE: 10/10 would recommend.
So that concludes this album review. I give this album an overall 4 out of 5 stars. One of my favorites of the year. And hey, guess what?
YOU CAN BUY CONFIDENT ON ITUNES NOW!
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