It's flat-out impossible to talk about "Unbroken" without talking about Demi's decision to enter a treatment facility in late 2010. Her decision was influenced by personal harm and bulimia, serious issues that couldn't be swept under the rug. Although, unlike other artists who have faced personal struggles (Britney Spears comes to mind), Demi decided to get help right away, which is an admirable trait by any measure. Then in July 2011, she broke her long silence with "Skyscraper", a ballad that proved Demi's vocal ability and on-record charisma. Take these things, and then add an album titled "Unbroken", and you'd assume right away that this is an album that directly addresses her problems and is the result of what she learned in treatment.You'd be wrong though, as apparently there's more on Demi's agenda then getting help. When she's not singing about how someone is "pouring salt on my cuts", she's shaking her hips for "my only shorty", she parties "All Night Long", and is checking out random boys in a club. She litters "Unbroken" with about seven party songs, all that are trying to desperately prove that although she couldn't quite handle the celebrity lifestyle, she can still stay up late and hang out with the cool kids. This is a considerable problem coming from an artist who was just released from therapy; she doesn't really have the convincing swagger to pull off all those party songs. Quite frankly, the beginning section of "All Night Long" to "Together" is an embarrassing overload of guest artists with whom Demi never quite gels with, no matter how hard she tries. So, hip-hop and R&B aren't her strengths, but you would then hope that at least the half of the record that does focus on her tribulations would be better, right? You'd be wrong there too, as Demi hasn't refined her voice enough to carry these ballads without taxing her range. "Skyscraper" and "Fix a Heart" are definitely the album's highest points, but even they present glory notes that Demi can't hit, and emotions that she can't quite grasp. Though it is nice to see Demi wanting to cater to older audiences, she still hasn't found the right material to suit her idiosyncratic voice. What's been missing on her first two albums is still missing here: to make an album appealing to a wider audience, she needs a strong hook and the right sound to pull listener's into its realm, which Demi by and large doesn't do on "Unbroken". As Demi abandons all and any pretense that she's still a teenager, she's somehow produced a record that doesn't appeal to either tweens or young adults. This is also another major problem as all of her trials from the past year have raised expectations for "Unbroken" quite considerably. Demi Lovato is not untalented, she's a sweet presence and is very endearing on a record, but she has the most to lose when albums as contradictory as "Unbroken" are released. Like Katy Perry before her, Demi has proven that you can either be a club creature, or a sensitive and deep thinker who has nothing but wholesome topics to sing about. You can't have both on the same album, as one always undermines the other. It's easy to tell that Demi's party girl persona is just an act, but it's also disappointing to hear it on "Unbroken", an album that was supposed to be strong and unflinching. It's worth a listen, but it's as flimsy as a house of cards, falling down as soon as a slight breeze comes along and disturbs it. On the bright side, as the album cover depicts, now that Demi's gotten this out of her system, there's sure to be a sunny and bright future ahead of her.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. All Night Long 2. Who’s That Boy? 3.
You’re My Only Shorty
4. Together 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
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