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, their 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 with their 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 their problems on “Fix a Heart,” where they run out of Band-Aids to bind their wounds. These stark ballads are paired with a half-an-album's worth of songs that act like nothing is wrong in
Demi’s world at all, that they can keep partying “All Night Long” and shaking their hips for their only shorty.
Ryan Tedder attempts to push them onto the charts while
Timbaland knocks off his own production of
Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous,” the frivolity clashing with introspection. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine