Thursday, February 5, 2009

Demi Lovato - Don't Forget




Following her film debut in the Disney Channel Original Movie "Camp Rock" co-starring the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato released her debut album "Don't Forget" which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Album Hot 100 and is soon to be released in Australia. The album, which was co-produced by Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas is a strong debut full of music worthy of a young Disney star in the making.

Track by Track

1.La La Land
"La La Land" has been released as the second single off the album. It is a strong opener for the album with a strong message of self confidence and not following the crowd. In parts, the track has a 50's Sandra-Dee-esque feel to it to further express the supposed "perfect-ness" of Hollywood but becomes more aggressive with Demi's screaming vocals.

2.Get Back
Released as the first single off the album "Get Back" is a strong pop/rock effort expected from a young Disney artist of today. The song opens with a simple guitar riff and moves on to Demi's smooth vocals. The chorus rips up as Demi sings "I want to get back to the old days...". The song is somewhat a ping-pong game of dark and light with quiet whispers (provided by Nick Jonas) and screaming vocals.

3.Trainwreck
One of my favourite songs on the album. The song is a pop/rock track with a jazzy edge to it. At first listen it reminded me of the song "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. The chorus is very boppy as Demi expresses how she is in love with a guy who is somewhat messed up. The end verse of the song is one of my favourite parts of the track as it is just Demi and the piano. The line that ends the song "You're a trainwreck but with you I'm in love" is delivered beautifully by Demi.

4.Party
This track is very pop/rock with a harder edge to it. I think it differs from the album as most of the songs on the album are about love and heartache whereas this song is all about seeing a guy at a party and "Get(ting) your party on" which I feel, even though Demi co-wrote it, she's not fully comfortable singing it. It seems like it was included simply as a supposed "hit" that wouldn't rule out Demi's younger audience. Not to say that this song isn't great. It's still a worthy inclusion.

5.On The Line (Featuring Jonas Brothers)
At first listen I was quite surprised by this track. Since the Jonas Brothers feature I was guessing a very rock-driven track. The track is a lot more mellow and different to anything the Jonas Brothers have done previously but it works extremely well. And hey, this is Demi's debut anyway. Demi begins singing with Joe in the first verse and they both harmonise in the chorus (a la the last chorus of "This Is Me" from the Camp Rock Soundtrack). The second verse is sung with Nick and the rest is carried out with Demi and Joe although Nick sings his trademark "Yeah" at the end of the song.

6.Don't Forget
This track is very individual, full of synthinzers and basic pop beats to it. The track moves on with this simple beat for most of the song until the last chorus when a guitar rips in and the rest of the song is full instruments. The song is very reminiscent of "Lovebug" by the Jonas Brothers as it somewhat follows the same format; simple music and limited instruments until the last chorus.

7.Gonna Get Caught
This track is simple pop/rock at it's best and it reminiscent of the sounds featured on Hilary Duff's self-titled release, when she was moving in a more rockier direction. It expresses how a boyfriend's cheating ways will be revealed.

8.Two Worlds Collide
This track was obviously written as a tie-in track to Demi's upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie "Princess Protection Program" as the song expresses how a girl is "afraid of her throne" and how two different people from two different worlds can teach each other new things. There is one thing I dislike about this track is that the chorus doesn't pack a punch. Demi's vocals stay flat during the chorus so it doesn't create a solid chorus.

9.The Middle
This track represents Demi's metal rock influence. It's very dark and edgy. The verses are very sultry and they have the effect of reeling in the listener until the chorus explodes with an array of drums and guitars. It is probably the most mature track featured on the album and it displays another side of Demi even possibly showcasing the musical direction she will be going in the future.

10.Until You're Mine
The track begins with an unexpected latin-inspired sound with digital drums. The chorus kicks in and deliver's Demi's signature pop/rock sound and the song continues with real drums and a more pop/rock sound. The slow speed of the verses and the faster more aggressive speed of the chorus contrast well.

11.Believe In Me
A very inspirational track that expresses Demi's want to "wake up feeling beautiful". This song was obviously developed from Demi's experiences of being bullied when she was younger and the positive message of self-confidence shines through in the song.

Summary

This album is a strong debut from Demi Lovato. It incorporates the pop/rock sound familiar to teenage stars today yet it offers a unique edge to it that seperates it from the others. With fantastic production by the Jonas Brothers, "Don't Forget" is an album worthy of it's unforgetable title.

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