By Allison O’Connor
As the Grammys pass, it was many artist’s opputunity to receive their second or third award. but for Demi Lovato it could have been her first Grammy for her album Confident, which was nominated for best Pop Album.
Lovato released Confident as an album on Oct. 16, 2015. Her songs “Cool for the Summer” and “Confident” hit Billboard’s Top 100 before the whole album was completely released. “Cool for the Summer” hit 11 on the charts and went double platinum.
While her top songs on Confident are easily recognized within a few seconds, many of her other pieces on the album are completely underrated. After listening to the entire album, I had no idea how amazing her other songs were.
One of the more upbeat tunes is “Old Ways”, which gives the listener a mix between Lovato’s regular sound but also a techno-electronic feel to the chorus and the back beat of this particular song.
This is a change for Lovato because many of her hit songs are not overly intensified with that style of music.
Another song I was surprised at on Confident was “Kingdom Come”. Lovato worked with Australian rapper Iggy Azalea on this song and it is truly a piece of art. The flow of the song pushes Lovato’s vocals with multiple riffs that work well with her range. When Azalea comes in at the bridge, it completely changes the dynamic of the song.
With every album must come one or two slower, more soulful songs. With Confident, this included “Stone Cold” and “Father”.
“Stone Cold” hit the Billboard Top 100 at 22 and has a very different take on a ballad, using an almost eerie back melody and pushing her vocals to hit an almost impossible note in the bridge.
“Father” is one of my favorite tracks on Confident due to the large amount of emotion you can hear in her voice. Lovato’s father passed away on June 22, 2013, and through the song, it is hinted that their relationship was not the ideal father-daughter connection but you can hear the love she has for him.
Her track “For You” is very similar to tracks from her previous albums, like “Heart Attack”, with her large leaps between notes and powerful voice.
This track did not overly interest me because it was very normal for her and did not stand out against the other songs.
One of my favorite songs on the album is “Stars”. This track has a similar techno-electronic sound like “Old Ways” but the rhythm is different between the two tracks where “Stars” has a very steady beat that is easy to dance to.
“Yes” was another track that I loved but was very surprised by. This song surprises many listeners when the verses move into the chorus and change keys. It is a song that makes you feel powerful and strong when listening.
Lovato wrote this album as a comeback from her time in rehabilitation and she certainly did not disappoint.
In total, Confident is an uplifting album that makes any listener feel as though they can do anything they set their mind too.
Here’s to Lovato’s top shelf album that will hopefully bring her to the next level of her career.