Unbroken (Demi Lovato album)
Encyclopedia
Unbroken is the third studio album
by American pop singer Demi Lovato
. The album was released on September 20, 2011, by Hollywood Records
. Lovato worked with a variety of producers and writers such as Toby Gad
, Rock Mafia
, Timbaland
, Dreamlab, and others. Lovato had been recording songs for the album right after promotion for her second album, Here We Go Again, ended during the summer of 2010 and resumed in April 2011 after Lovato’s treatment stint ended. The album's lyrical content was heavily influenced by the singer’s emotional problems that became publicized in late 2010 when she was sent to rehab for treatment. This came after an altercation with a back up dancer occurred while on tour with the Jonas Brothers. The album is sonically influenced by the sound of pop and urban artists like Rihanna
and Keri Hilson
.
The album has received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. They appreciated its material showing growth and maturity in Lovato’s music. Lyrically, the majority of the album's songs are based on Lovato's life experiences of love, heartbreak, boys, and having a good time. Musically, Unbroken is rooted in the pop
genre, while incorporating elements of R&B
and dance music
in its production and beats. The album debuted in the fourth position on the US Billboard 200
chart with sales exceeding 96,000 copies. It also debuted in the top five position on the charts in Canada
and New Zealand
.
Its lead single, "Skyscraper
", was released on July 12, 2011 and was a hit in the United States, reaching number ten on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming Lovato’s highest peaking solo single. It also peaked in the top twenty in Canada and New Zealand. The single has been certified gold by Recording Industry Association of America
in the United States, making it her first single to receive this certification. The album's next single is the track "Give Your Heart A Break". Unbroken went gold in Brazil in november 2011.
and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
and their soundtracks. Therefore, recording the first track on this album was made only in July 2010 with producer Dapo Torimiro
.
That same month, the singer gave an interview to MTV
, in which she said she was "creating a new sound," it would be "fun. A little more R&B/pop
." Later, in conversation with AHN
, quoted Rihanna
and Keri Hilson
as influences. At the time, she revealed she planned to work in no hurry on this album, stating that "Every other album I haven’t had time to really take my time and craft it like I really wanted to do because I was finding spare time between a television show, and movies, and touring, and then all over again. I’ve worked on (the album) for the past year and really gone hard over the past few months, but you can definitely tell that I took my time with this record."
In August 2010, Demi entered in the Camp Rock World Tour 2010 to release the movie Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. In November, she left the tour due to personal problems and was admitted to a clinic for three months. During this time, the recordings were interrupted. Some time after leaving the clinic, the singer returned to work on the album, in April 2011, it was reported that she was also working with producers/songwriters Sandy Vee
and August Rigo
. Later that month, was announced that she would leave Sonny with a Chance, in which she portrayed Sonny Munroe, the main character. She left the show because she wanted to focus on her music career more than acting.
In July 2011, Demi described the album as "more mature" than their previous sound and more fun and light than her first single, "Skyscraper", while other tracks are more intense. On August 11th, 2011, Demi used her Twitter
account and Facebook page to announce the title of her album "Unbroken".
In August 2011, Lovato explained the song "All Night Long" which features Missy Elliott
and Timbaland
is actually the polar opposite of "Skyscraper" and said it is about "staying up all night long and singing it to the boy that you like, and it's flirty and fun and it's not too grown-up, but it's grown-up enough."
Around 20 tracks were recorded for the album, one of which is a duet with an R&B singer. She also worked with Dreamlab, Rock Mafia
, Ryan Tedder
and Kara DioGuardi
. About working with Lovato, Tedder commented, "Demi blew me out of the water vocally! I had no idea how good her voice is. She's one of the best singers I've ever worked with. Literally, that good... I mean, she's a Kelly Clarkson
-level vocalist. And Kelly has a set of pipes". He also explained that the song they co-wrote together is much more upbeat than Skyscraper. "I think everybody wanted to hear her talk about that, and this is basically flipping it 180, saying, 'Oh, by the way, I'm still also just young and want to have fun.' There's even like a little rap feature on it." T
Metacritic
, the album has a score of 59 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". While some critics has praised Lovato's vocals and growth in musicianship compared to her previous two albums, as well as some of the album's ballad tracks, others dismissed it as "immature" and "confusing", referring to the album's amount of "party songs".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
gave the album a mixed review, scoring it 2 and a half stars, criticizing that the album is full of "party songs" that "act like nothing is wrong in her world at all". He also said that, "It’s hard to party knowing Lovato couldn’t quite handle the clubs, while it’s not easy to trust the melancholy flowing through the ballads knowing she’s ready to cut loose." Erlewine indicated "All Night Long", "Who's That Boy", "Fix a Heart", and "Skyscraper
" as the AMG track picks. Monica Herrera of Rolling Stone
also gave the album a mixed review, scoring it 2 out of 5 stars, saying "She's grown into her voice. Now, if only her music would grow up too."
However, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
gave the album a positive review, saying that it "represents the opportunity for Demi Lovato to wipe clean several slates, something she is well suited for." Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly
also gave a positive review, scoring it a B+, "Clearly it's been a tough year for Lovato. But as Rihanna could tell her, sometimes bad years make great songs." Becky Brain of Idolator
wrote Lovato has a "killer voice and the A-list material to put it to good use", adding, "It’s difficult for many young female pop stars to transition successfully from squeaky-clean Disney kid to respected adult recording artist. But so far, Demi’s doing a spectacular job, and she’s doing it without having to show some skin or sing about hooking up in a club." Absolute Punk scored the album 81 out of 100, summarizing it by saying "Nothing, and nobody, is broken beyond repair, and Unbroken showcases that beautifully."
(^) denotes additional producer
Creativity and management
Performances
Technical
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American pop singer Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato
"She’s got the range, the full emotional spectrum, incredible control… Vocally, she’s the best thing Disney’s had since Christina Aguilera."—Producer Toby Gad on Demi Lovato's vocals...
. The album was released on September 20, 2011, by Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
. Lovato worked with a variety of producers and writers such as Toby Gad
Toby Gad
Tobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
, Rock Mafia
Rock Mafia
Rock Mafia is a record production/songwriting team, consisting of Tim James and Antonina Armato, who are credited for writing and producing a great number of top pop and rock artists beginning in the early 2000s such as Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Selena Gomez, Demi...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Dreamlab, and others. Lovato had been recording songs for the album right after promotion for her second album, Here We Go Again, ended during the summer of 2010 and resumed in April 2011 after Lovato’s treatment stint ended. The album's lyrical content was heavily influenced by the singer’s emotional problems that became publicized in late 2010 when she was sent to rehab for treatment. This came after an altercation with a back up dancer occurred while on tour with the Jonas Brothers. The album is sonically influenced by the sound of pop and urban artists like Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
and Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
.
The album has received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. They appreciated its material showing growth and maturity in Lovato’s music. Lyrically, the majority of the album's songs are based on Lovato's life experiences of love, heartbreak, boys, and having a good time. Musically, Unbroken is rooted in the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
genre, while incorporating elements of R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
in its production and beats. The album debuted in the fourth position on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart with sales exceeding 96,000 copies. It also debuted in the top five position on the charts in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Its lead single, "Skyscraper
Skyscraper (song)
"Skyscraper" is a song performed by American recording artist Demi Lovato. It was written by Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins and Kerli Kõiv and produced by Gad for Lovato's third studio album, Unbroken . The song was inspired by a picture of the apocalypse, in which the world was in ruins, and among...
", was released on July 12, 2011 and was a hit in the United States, reaching number ten on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming Lovato’s highest peaking solo single. It also peaked in the top twenty in Canada and New Zealand. The single has been certified gold by Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
in the United States, making it her first single to receive this certification. The album's next single is the track "Give Your Heart A Break". Unbroken went gold in Brazil in november 2011.
Background
After the release and disclosure of her second album, Here We Go Again, in the second half of 2009, Lovato was dedicated to her acting career, with recordings for the series and movies Sonny with a ChanceSonny With a Chance
Sonny with a Chance is an American children's sitcom which aired on Disney Channel, created by Steve Marmel, that follows the experiences of teenager Sonny Munroe, portrayed by Demi Lovato, who becomes the newest accepted cast member of her favorite live comedy show, So Random!.The series debuted...
and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam is a 2010 Disney Channel Original Movie and sequel to the 2008 film Camp Rock. Production commenced in August 2009 in Toronto, Ontario and at area summer camps. The movie premiered on on Disney Channel in the USA, along with a live simulcast on Radio Disney...
and their soundtracks. Therefore, recording the first track on this album was made only in July 2010 with producer Dapo Torimiro
Dapo Torimiro
Dapo Torimiro is a multi-platinum songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he has worked in the music industry in the U.S...
.
That same month, the singer gave an interview to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, in which she said she was "creating a new sound," it would be "fun. A little more R&B/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
." Later, in conversation with AHN
All Headline News
All Headline News is a United States based news agency or wire service. Launched in 2003 it has grown to become a major worldwide online news wire service, providing news and other content, to websites, digital signage, and other publishers who pay a fee for the service.The company's daily news...
, quoted Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
and Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
as influences. At the time, she revealed she planned to work in no hurry on this album, stating that "Every other album I haven’t had time to really take my time and craft it like I really wanted to do because I was finding spare time between a television show, and movies, and touring, and then all over again. I’ve worked on (the album) for the past year and really gone hard over the past few months, but you can definitely tell that I took my time with this record."
In August 2010, Demi entered in the Camp Rock World Tour 2010 to release the movie Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. In November, she left the tour due to personal problems and was admitted to a clinic for three months. During this time, the recordings were interrupted. Some time after leaving the clinic, the singer returned to work on the album, in April 2011, it was reported that she was also working with producers/songwriters Sandy Vee
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
and August Rigo
August Rigo
Dan August Rigo or better known professionally as August Rigo is a recording artist, songwriter, producer and musician. August Rigo is signed to a publishing contract with Sony/ATV as a songwriter.-Early life:...
. Later that month, was announced that she would leave Sonny with a Chance, in which she portrayed Sonny Munroe, the main character. She left the show because she wanted to focus on her music career more than acting.
In July 2011, Demi described the album as "more mature" than their previous sound and more fun and light than her first single, "Skyscraper", while other tracks are more intense. On August 11th, 2011, Demi used her Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account and Facebook page to announce the title of her album "Unbroken".
In August 2011, Lovato explained the song "All Night Long" which features Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
and Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
is actually the polar opposite of "Skyscraper" and said it is about "staying up all night long and singing it to the boy that you like, and it's flirty and fun and it's not too grown-up, but it's grown-up enough."
Production
Lovato said in her column in Seventeen Magazine, in early June 2011:I love being back in the studio! It's been very therapeutic to be able to express my feelings and talk about who I really am, through my music. It also helps that I've been lucky enough to work with such talented people on the record so far! With my new album, I'm hoping to provide inspiration for girls everywhere who are going through the same issues I've faced. I think this will come through in a lot of the material. My first single is really special to me— to me it symbolizes my journey from the person I was to the happy healthy person I am today, and the fact that people are able to rise above anything, despite the odds. I'm so excited to share all of this with you guys! The experience has been amazing so far and I'm really enjoying the whole process. There are definitely a lot of emotions that go into making an album. I feel blessed, inspired, and nervous with anticipation, but mostly, I feel excited about the future, and about sharing this new record with my fans!
Around 20 tracks were recorded for the album, one of which is a duet with an R&B singer. She also worked with Dreamlab, Rock Mafia
Rock Mafia
Rock Mafia is a record production/songwriting team, consisting of Tim James and Antonina Armato, who are credited for writing and producing a great number of top pop and rock artists beginning in the early 2000s such as Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Selena Gomez, Demi...
, Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
and Kara DioGuardi
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
. About working with Lovato, Tedder commented, "Demi blew me out of the water vocally! I had no idea how good her voice is. She's one of the best singers I've ever worked with. Literally, that good... I mean, she's a Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
-level vocalist. And Kelly has a set of pipes". He also explained that the song they co-wrote together is much more upbeat than Skyscraper. "I think everybody wanted to hear her talk about that, and this is basically flipping it 180, saying, 'Oh, by the way, I'm still also just young and want to have fun.' There's even like a little rap feature on it." T
Critical reception
The album has received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. According to review aggregatorReview aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services . This system stores the reviews and then uses them for purposes such as: creating a website for users to view the reviews, selling information to third parties about consumer tendencies and creating databases for...
Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the album has a score of 59 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". While some critics has praised Lovato's vocals and growth in musicianship compared to her previous two albums, as well as some of the album's ballad tracks, others dismissed it as "immature" and "confusing", referring to the album's amount of "party songs".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
gave the album a mixed review, scoring it 2 and a half stars, criticizing that the album is full of "party songs" that "act like nothing is wrong in her world at all". He also said that, "It’s hard to party knowing Lovato couldn’t quite handle the clubs, while it’s not easy to trust the melancholy flowing through the ballads knowing she’s ready to cut loose." Erlewine indicated "All Night Long", "Who's That Boy", "Fix a Heart", and "Skyscraper
Skyscraper (song)
"Skyscraper" is a song performed by American recording artist Demi Lovato. It was written by Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins and Kerli Kõiv and produced by Gad for Lovato's third studio album, Unbroken . The song was inspired by a picture of the apocalypse, in which the world was in ruins, and among...
" as the AMG track picks. Monica Herrera of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
also gave the album a mixed review, scoring it 2 out of 5 stars, saying "She's grown into her voice. Now, if only her music would grow up too."
However, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave the album a positive review, saying that it "represents the opportunity for Demi Lovato to wipe clean several slates, something she is well suited for." Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
also gave a positive review, scoring it a B+, "Clearly it's been a tough year for Lovato. But as Rihanna could tell her, sometimes bad years make great songs." Becky Brain of Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
wrote Lovato has a "killer voice and the A-list material to put it to good use", adding, "It’s difficult for many young female pop stars to transition successfully from squeaky-clean Disney kid to respected adult recording artist. But so far, Demi’s doing a spectacular job, and she’s doing it without having to show some skin or sing about hooking up in a club." Absolute Punk scored the album 81 out of 100, summarizing it by saying "Nothing, and nobody, is broken beyond repair, and Unbroken showcases that beautifully."
Singles
- "SkyscraperSkyscraper (song)"Skyscraper" is a song performed by American recording artist Demi Lovato. It was written by Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins and Kerli Kõiv and produced by Gad for Lovato's third studio album, Unbroken . The song was inspired by a picture of the apocalypse, in which the world was in ruins, and among...
" is the first single from the album. It was released on July 12, 2011. It reached a position of number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart.
- "All Night Long", was announced as the second US single from the album,and the music video will premiere sometime in late January
Other charted songs
- Many songs from the album charted on the iTunes Top 100 Singles chart prior to its release, which resulted with the songs "Fix a Heart" and "Unbroken" debuting at #69 and #98 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
"Choice Summer: Song" | "Skyscraper" | |
| J-14 Teen Icon Awards | "Iconic Song" | "Skyscraper" | ||
| Youth Rock Awards | "Music Video of the Year" | "Skyscraper" | ||
| EV. Music Awards | "Best Teen Video" | "Skyscraper" |
Track listing
(*) denotes co-producer(^) denotes additional producer
Personnel
- Adapted from allmusic.com.
Creativity and management
- Hilary Walsh – photographer
- David Snow – Creative Director
- Cindy Warden – A&R
- Enny Joo – Art Direction, Design
- Mike Daddy Evans – Executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Coordinator; - Brian Byrd – Production Coordination
- Jon Lind – A&R
- Joyce Bonelli – Make-up
Performances
- Demi LovatoDemi Lovato"She’s got the range, the full emotional spectrum, incredible control… Vocally, she’s the best thing Disney’s had since Christina Aguilera."—Producer Toby Gad on Demi Lovato's vocals...
– lead vocals, background vocals - Jordin SparksJordin SparksJordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
– background vocals - DevDev (singer)Devin Star Tailes , better known by her stage name Dev, is an American singer. She was discovered by The Cataracs via MySpace after her friend Shane Crislip, posted her singing to some beats...
– guest vocal performance (track 2 "Who's That Boy") - TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
– guest vocal performance (track 1 "All Night Long") - Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
– guest vocal performance (track 1 "All Night Long")
- Lindsey Ray – background vocals
- IyazIyazKeidran Jones , better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a singer signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records from the British Virgin Islands. His debut single "Replay", was released in 2009 and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, number-one in the UK, Australia and the top ten...
– guest vocal performance (track 3 "You're My Only Shorty") - Jaden Michaels – background vocals
- Jason DerüloJason DeruloJason Joel Desrouleaux , better known by his stage name Jason Derülo, is an American singer-songwriter, actor and dancer. After producing records for several artists and writing songs for Cash Money Records, co-founder of the label Birdman, Young Money Entertainment owner Lil Wayne and rapper...
– guest vocal performance (track 4 "Together") - Ariana GrandeAriana GrandeAriana Joan Grande is an American actress and singer. She currently plays the role of Cat Valentine in the American sitcom Victorious.-Early life:Grande was born and raised in Boca Raton, Florida...
– background vocals (track 3 "You're My Only Shorty")
Technical
- Devrim "DK" Karaoglu – Additional Production
- Thomas Armato Sturges – Additional Production
- Jeremiah Olvera – Assistant
- Tucker Robinson – Assistant
- Alex Dilliplane – Assistant Engineer
- Elizabeth Gallardo – Assistant Engineer
- Emanuel KiriakouEmanuel Kiriakou- Early life :Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou started playing music at the age of thirteen in his father’s Greek band.-Producer:...
– Bass, Composer, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Programming - Wizz Dumb – Composer
- Antonina ArmatoAntonina ArmatoAntonina Armato is a songwriter and music producer who is most known for co-writing the #1 single "I Still Believe" and co-writing another #1 single "She Ain't Worth It." She has written or produced over 20 Top Ten singles...
– Composer - William BeckettWilliam Beckett (singer),William Eugene Beckett Jr. was the lead singer of the band The Academy Is... , who were signed to Atlantic Records/Fueled by Ramen/Decaydance Records. While still in high school in 2002, Beckett and guitarist Mike Carden came together from rival bands in Chicago to form The Academy Is......
– Composer - Ross Golan – Composer
- Leah HaywoodLeah HaywoodLeah Haywood is an Australian pop rock singer-songwriter and producer. Born in New Zealand, she grew up in Perth, Western Australia, and recorded a top 40 album, Leah, released in 2001 on Epic Records, which contained her Top 10 single, "We Think It's Love". Two more Top 40 hits followed with...
– Composer - Daniel James – Composer
- Kerli Kõiv – Composer
- James MorrisonJames Morrison (singer)James Morrison is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the...
– Composer - Shelly PeikenShelly PeikenShelly Peiken is a multi-platinum Grammy nominated songwriter who is best known for her #1 hits "What a Girl Wants" and "Come on Over Baby ".Shelly and Meredith Brooks earned a Grammy nomination for Brooks's hit song "Bitch"....
– Composer - Missy Elliott – Composer
- Lyrica AndersonLyrica Anderson-Music career:Lyrica Anderson started her music career at a young age. She is an artist signed to the record label Mosley Music Group a division of Interscope Records.-Select discography:*"Are You Ready" Hannah Montana Forever, By Hannah Montana...
– Composer - Priscilla ReneaPriscilla ReneaPriscilla Renea Hamilton is an American singer and songwriter. She is signed to Capitol Records, and her debut album, Jukebox, was released on December 1, 2009 but failed to garner success. Her second album is expected to be released sometime in 2011, although no official release details have been...
– Composer - Lindy RobbinsLindy RobbinsLindy Robbins is a songwriter from Los Angeles. She has contributed many recognizable songs to popular culture.-Career:She started singing with her late, gifted musician father Walter Wissman when she was three-years-old, and was an acclaimed performer in NYC and LA before becoming a full-time...
– Composer - Frankie Storm – Composer
- Shanna CrooksShanna CrooksShanna Crooks is an American singer/songwriter currently signed to Atlantic Records.-Music career:At the age of eighteen, Crooks moved to Nashville, TN to pursue a career in music. Shortly after moving, her songwriting caught the attention of country music superstar John Rich, who signed Crooks to...
–Composer - Devin Tailes – Composer
- Tim JamesTim James (music producer)Timothy James Price is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. James is the co-founder of Rock Mafia. James co-wrote the songs "Potential Breakup Song" by Aly & AJ, "Come Back to Me" by Vanessa Hudgens, "See You Again" by Miley Cyrus, and "Naturally" by Selena Gomez & the Scene. James...
– Composer, Digital Editing, Mixing - BleuBleu (musician)William James McAuley III , best known by his performing name, Bleu, is an American pop artist , professional songwriter and producer currently living in Los Angeles. Bleu graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts...
– Composer, Engineer, Guitar, Keyboards, Mixing, Producer, Programming - Josh Alexander – Composer, Engineer, Instrumentation, Mixing, Producer, Programming
- Ryan TedderRyan TedderRyan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
– Composer, Engineer, Instrumentation, Producer - Garland Mosley – Composer, Executive Production Coordinator
- Toby GadToby GadTobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
– Composer, Instrumentation, Mixing, Producer, Programming - Noel Zancanella – Composer, Instrumentation, Producer
- Billy SteinbergBilly SteinbergWilliam Endfield "Billy" Steinberg is an American songwriter. He has achieved most of his success as part of a song writing team, most notably with Tom Kelly. He has also co-written several hit songs with Rick Nowels.-Biography:...
– Composer, Producer - Jim BeanzJim BeanzJames David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
– Composer, Producer, Vocal Producer, Vocals - Lindsey Ray – Composer,
- Demi Lovato – Composer
- Nigel Lundemo – Digital Editing
- Jens Koerkemeier – Editing, Engineer
- Bobby Campbell – Engineer
- Smith Carlson – Engineer
- Chris Garcia – Engineer
- Koil – Engineer
- Julian Vasquez – Engineer
- Steve Hammons – Engineer, Mixing
- John Hanes – Engineer, Mixing
- Eren Cannata – Guitar
- CM Spida Guitars
- Robert Vosgien – Mastering
- Ducky Carlisle – Mixing
- Serban Ghenea – Mixing
- Chris Godbey – Mixing
- Paul Palmer – Mixing
- Neil Pogue – Mixing
- Phil Seaford – Mixing Assistant
- Scott Roewe – Pro-Tools, Technician
- Dreamlab – Producer
- Jerome "Jroc" HarmonJerome HarmonJerome Harmon, better known as J-Roc, is a Pop, R&B and Hip-Hop producer from Fort Worth, Texas. He is currently with Timbaland. Jerome Harmon has produced for artists such as Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, Justin Timberlake, Ashlee Simpson, Mario, Nelly Furtado, and Jamie Foxx.-Career:J-Roc spent years...
– Producer - Rock Mafia – Producer
- Timbaland – Producer
- Adam Comstock – Second Engineer
- Steve Lu – String Arrangements
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
20 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
4 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
63 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 9 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
4 |