Demi Lovato reached new peaks in and beyond 2013, releasing her most successful album "Demi", forming her own record label, becoming a near-predominant presence on radio (no less than four singles from "Demi"her hit the top 40 in the time following its release), and still finding time to foster a relationship, maintaining her advocacy for anti-Bullying and even writing a self-help book for her loyal fans. Surely all of this success has emboldened Demi, and never the one to be subtle, she steps into her fifth album "Confident" with as much swagger and chutzpah as she's entitled to. Max Martin provides the horn-fueled fanfare to the opening title track, where Lovato belts "You had me underrated/What's wrong with being confident?" Clearly, she's fully intent on making a big and bold statement here, which is somewhat validated by lead single "Cool for the Summer", another Martin-helmed banger dedicated to sexual experimentation. The blunt honesty that front-loads "Confident" is invigorating for a while, since it was sadly missing on the more polite "Demi", but the inevitable slow jam stops the action dead in its tracks around the time Iggy Azalea drops a phoned-in verse on "Kingdom Come", and Sirah shoehorns her way into "Waitin for You" but strangely disappears as fast as she came. Even more of a problem is that "Confident" never recovers after the middle of the record incapacitates it, making it a somewhat bewildering experience to listen through. Lovato 's sound has sufficiently severed all ties with her teen-pop past, she's already proven that she possesses a strong set of pipes and vocal range, so it's truly bizarre as to why she doesn't utilize either of these strengths to the fullest extent on "Confident". Even though she wails and shouts through more than half the record, it's unclear as to what she's so impassioned about. The volume of her voice doesn't give her words more power, and unfortunately neither does the production, which is pretty settled in the adult-contemporary lull of smooth melodies and gospel choir affections. Of course there are a couple moments when the subdued production finds a hook and accentuates it, both "For You" and "Lionheart" present a perfect blend of vocal prowess, understated beats, and catchy lyrics. Most of the time though, "Confident" is demure, very much unlike the one-two sucker punch of its starting tracks. Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with modesty, but Demi has already given us gems like "Skyscraper" and "Give Your Heart a Break", both of which played to the pop sound but were undoubtedly vehicles for showcasing her talents as an artist and singer. It certainly takes talent to keep eleven songs so focused and cohesive, but considering that most of that material is designed to be agreeable, not profoundly innovative or challenging, "Confident" can't really attest to what Demi is truly capable of. Her humanity shone bright on "Demi", but here it's almost as if it's a nuisance rather than a source for inspiration. It all adds up to an interesting listen--an album that shows promise yet falters where it should've succeeded the most.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Confident 2. Cool for the Summer 3. Old Ways
4. For You 5. Stone Cold 6. Kingdom Come
7. Waitin’ for You 8. Wildfire 9. Lionheart
10. Yes 11. Father
