Breaking into a whirlwind schedule of filming Disney TV movies and touring the world with
the Jonas Brothers,
Demi Lovato checked into a treatment facility in the fall of 2010. Denying rumors of substance abuse, her management team confessed that
Lovato was being treated for emotional issues that manifested themselves in bulimia and cutting, serious matters that can’t be swept under the rug, so
Lovato attempts to clear the air via her post-treatment record, 2011’s
Unbroken. Clearly, the title is intended to convey strength, while its lead single, “Skyscraper,” conveyed vulnerability, setting a precedent for
Lovato specifically addressing her problems on “Fix a Heart,” where she runs out of Band-Aids to bind her wounds. These stark ballads are paired with a half-album's worth of songs that act like nothing is wrong in
Demi’s world at all, that she can keep partying “All Night Long” and shaking her hips for her only shorty.
Ryan Tedder attempts to push her onto the charts while
Timbaland knocks off his own production of
Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous,” the frivolity clashing with introspection. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine