Album Review.
Favorite songs: “Every Time You Lie”, “Got Dynamite”, “Falling Over Me”, “World of Chances”
Least Favorites: “Everything You’re Not”, “Gift of Friend”, “Here We Go Again”
Overall synopsis: Nice upgrade from 1st album, every song is likable, Lovato shows strong long-term potential
Just 10 MONTHS after releasing her debut album, “Don’t Forget”, Demi Lovato is back with “Here We Go Again.” Considering the short time frame, one might anticipate that the two albums would not be that different, or that the sophomore album would be lacking or underdeveloped. That’s not the case here. If anything, “HWGA” is just as good, if not BETTER than “Don’t Forget”, as Demi stands strongly on her own without the writing help of the Jonas Brothers and presents an edgier sound. Although Demi is still under the pop-rock umbrella, “HWGA” seems more mature, edgy and less formulaic than “Don’t Forget” (when I say formulaic, I mean that the material on “HWGA” sounds more personal, as supposed to it being crafted by the record label to follow a certain pattern and sell). The aura maturity and edginess may be a result of the much gloomier, angry lyrics. Demi was apparently feeling in love and lovelorn while recording this album, as it is filled with romance and breakup tunes. The major pro to this record is that none of the songs are terrible; all of the songs are likable in one way or another. The major con is that the album material is SLIGHTLY redundant because of there are SO MANY break up songs. Aside from that, I loved this album and had to keep myself from listening to it so I wouldn’t get tired of it. Out of all the Disney darlings, I think Demi has the most potential as an artist OUTSIDE of Disney. Unlike most of the Disney brats, Demi is not an actress TRYING to sing. She’s more so a singer, who just so happens to be an actress. Her solid vocals and writing skills are budding and she will no doubt expound on them with time. Lovato avoids the sophomore jinx cleanly.
Song Notes
1. “Here We Go Again”- I hate it when the title track is bland. The most “formulaic” out of all the tracks, “Here We Go Again” does what it’s supposed to do: it’s catchy and it sold like hot cake. It’s pretty forgettable for me; it fails to move me. The title track should be the strongest track on the album. This wasn’t. Moving on….
2. “Solo”-a cleverly written song about getting’ played by a player after he’s turned a 180. Demi has fun with word play and uses descriptive lyrics that make you wonder if she is talking about a real life ex. Lyrics like “if you’re life is such a mystery, why don’t you stick to actin’…without a script, your game is lacking…” Demi’s snubby attitude and sarcasm is delightful and makes the song (not to mention the awesome high note towards the end).
3. “U Got Nothin’ on Me”- after going “solo”, Demi’s taking the blinders off and letting the guy know he’s got “nothing on her”. She’s figured his game out. “U Got Nothin’ on Me” has hints of 80’s rock, decent guitar action, and a chorus and bridge full of attitude that will stick in your brain.
4. “Falling Over Me”- the musical arrangement is soft and deeply romantic with supporting vocal vulnerability. Although the song was co-written by John McLaughlin, the lyrics are a little bit weak and get outshined by the vocal and musical arrangement. There was an opportunity to have some illustrative and meaningful lyrics, and considering Demi’s potential, it should have happened. The chorus and bridge work, but the verses are weak.
5. “Quiet”- A song about a brewing romantic chemistry that neither party acts on. The song frequently changes tempo, which is fun, but this song didn’t quite grab me either.
6. “Catch Me”- a sweet, melodic, mostly acoustic song about trying to push away love for fear of being hurt in the end. The lyrics are simple, yet very functional. The additional strings on the song are beautiful. My only beef with this song is the random, unnecessary tempo change. She randomly starts rockin’ out, which interrupts the flow. When you have so many other songs that are up-tempo, it’s nice to have more than one completely relaxed song.
7.“ Every Time You Lie”- my favorite song on the album, Demi channels Maroon 5 and shows her potential to sing R&B-Pop well. The lyrics are sassy and cute, making for a great, infectious, “I honestly don’t care we’re breaking up” song.
8.“Got Dynamite”- Demi encourages a guy to step up his game, stop being timid with his attraction to her, and “light her fuse”. That might sound naughty, but the song is age appropriate, and she doesn’t go past flirting on this rockin’, aggressive, catchy, sassy track.
9. “ Stop The World”- the only song co-written by a Jonas (Nick), “Stop the World” is a romantic, well-written song about taking love slowly and allowing it to grow. Considering that teens typically like to step on the gas in relationships, the concept is pretty mature. This song lingers in your head.
10. “World of Chances” – this song is kind of sad. Demi expresses the emotional wear of being hurt constantly in a relationship and the wear of giving chance after chance, never being fed up enough to leave. Decent lyrics and appropriate music pull you into the mood and essence of the song. Don’t listen to this song if you’re happy; you’ll quickly feel depressed. Co-written by John Mayer, this one is a winner.
11.“Remember December”- a rockin’, 80’s-esque tune that is fairly dark in sound for a Disney brat. The lyrics are, again, pretty darn decent. Demi begs her lover to not give into external pressures on their relationship and remember what makes love golden. The song is catchy and I can appreciate the mild grit. Just think of it as a sadder, pop rock version of EWF’s “September”. Lol Also, Lovato hits sv
12.“Everything You’re Not”- One of my two least favorite songs on this album. It wasn’t awful, but it didn’t get my attention. What DID get my attention were the remnants of symbolism (I can always appreciate symbolism and metaphors) in the lyrics. Everything else about the song I got pretty bored with. Yet another “you’re a sucky boyfriend and I’m leaving” song.
13. “Gift of a Friend”-as with every Disney artist’s album, there must be a song about the beauty of true friendship. With a Celtic sound and inspirational Diane Warren-esque lyrics, the song is ok, but I was ready to go on to the next track.
14. “So Far, So Great”- if you love Demi’s TV series, “Sonny with a Chance”, you’ll love this song. Bouncy, fun and adorably optimistic, the song is about enjoying the top when you’ve finally made it.
Favorite songs: “Every Time You Lie”, “Got Dynamite”, “Falling Over Me”, “World of Chances”
Least Favorites: “Everything You’re Not”, “Gift of Friend”, “Here We Go Again”
Overall synopsis: Nice upgrade from 1st album, every song is likable, Lovato shows strong long-term potential
Just 10 MONTHS after releasing her debut album, “Don’t Forget”, Demi Lovato is back with “Here We Go Again.” Considering the short time frame, one might anticipate that the two albums would not be that different, or that the sophomore album would be lacking or underdeveloped. That’s not the case here. If anything, “HWGA” is just as good, if not BETTER than “Don’t Forget”, as Demi stands strongly on her own without the writing help of the Jonas Brothers and presents an edgier sound. Although Demi is still under the pop-rock umbrella, “HWGA” seems more mature, edgy and less formulaic than “Don’t Forget” (when I say formulaic, I mean that the material on “HWGA” sounds more personal, as supposed to it being crafted by the record label to follow a certain pattern and sell). The aura maturity and edginess may be a result of the much gloomier, angry lyrics. Demi was apparently feeling in love and lovelorn while recording this album, as it is filled with romance and breakup tunes. The major pro to this record is that none of the songs are terrible; all of the songs are likable in one way or another. The major con is that the album material is SLIGHTLY redundant because of there are SO MANY break up songs. Aside from that, I loved this album and had to keep myself from listening to it so I wouldn’t get tired of it. Out of all the Disney darlings, I think Demi has the most potential as an artist OUTSIDE of Disney. Unlike most of the Disney brats, Demi is not an actress TRYING to sing. She’s more so a singer, who just so happens to be an actress. Her solid vocals and writing skills are budding and she will no doubt expound on them with time. Lovato avoids the sophomore jinx cleanly.
Song Notes
1. “Here We Go Again”- I hate it when the title track is bland. The most “formulaic” out of all the tracks, “Here We Go Again” does what it’s supposed to do: it’s catchy and it sold like hot cake. It’s pretty forgettable for me; it fails to move me. The title track should be the strongest track on the album. This wasn’t. Moving on….
2. “Solo”-a cleverly written song about getting’ played by a player after he’s turned a 180. Demi has fun with word play and uses descriptive lyrics that make you wonder if she is talking about a real life ex. Lyrics like “if you’re life is such a mystery, why don’t you stick to actin’…without a script, your game is lacking…” Demi’s snubby attitude and sarcasm is delightful and makes the song (not to mention the awesome high note towards the end).
3. “U Got Nothin’ on Me”- after going “solo”, Demi’s taking the blinders off and letting the guy know he’s got “nothing on her”. She’s figured his game out. “U Got Nothin’ on Me” has hints of 80’s rock, decent guitar action, and a chorus and bridge full of attitude that will stick in your brain.
4. “Falling Over Me”- the musical arrangement is soft and deeply romantic with supporting vocal vulnerability. Although the song was co-written by John McLaughlin, the lyrics are a little bit weak and get outshined by the vocal and musical arrangement. There was an opportunity to have some illustrative and meaningful lyrics, and considering Demi’s potential, it should have happened. The chorus and bridge work, but the verses are weak.
5. “Quiet”- A song about a brewing romantic chemistry that neither party acts on. The song frequently changes tempo, which is fun, but this song didn’t quite grab me either.
6. “Catch Me”- a sweet, melodic, mostly acoustic song about trying to push away love for fear of being hurt in the end. The lyrics are simple, yet very functional. The additional strings on the song are beautiful. My only beef with this song is the random, unnecessary tempo change. She randomly starts rockin’ out, which interrupts the flow. When you have so many other songs that are up-tempo, it’s nice to have more than one completely relaxed song.
7.“ Every Time You Lie”- my favorite song on the album, Demi channels Maroon 5 and shows her potential to sing R&B-Pop well. The lyrics are sassy and cute, making for a great, infectious, “I honestly don’t care we’re breaking up” song.
8.“Got Dynamite”- Demi encourages a guy to step up his game, stop being timid with his attraction to her, and “light her fuse”. That might sound naughty, but the song is age appropriate, and she doesn’t go past flirting on this rockin’, aggressive, catchy, sassy track.
9. “ Stop The World”- the only song co-written by a Jonas (Nick), “Stop the World” is a romantic, well-written song about taking love slowly and allowing it to grow. Considering that teens typically like to step on the gas in relationships, the concept is pretty mature. This song lingers in your head.
10. “World of Chances” – this song is kind of sad. Demi expresses the emotional wear of being hurt constantly in a relationship and the wear of giving chance after chance, never being fed up enough to leave. Decent lyrics and appropriate music pull you into the mood and essence of the song. Don’t listen to this song if you’re happy; you’ll quickly feel depressed. Co-written by John Mayer, this one is a winner.
11.“Remember December”- a rockin’, 80’s-esque tune that is fairly dark in sound for a Disney brat. The lyrics are, again, pretty darn decent. Demi begs her lover to not give into external pressures on their relationship and remember what makes love golden. The song is catchy and I can appreciate the mild grit. Just think of it as a sadder, pop rock version of EWF’s “September”. Lol Also, Lovato hits sv
12.“Everything You’re Not”- One of my two least favorite songs on this album. It wasn’t awful, but it didn’t get my attention. What DID get my attention were the remnants of symbolism (I can always appreciate symbolism and metaphors) in the lyrics. Everything else about the song I got pretty bored with. Yet another “you’re a sucky boyfriend and I’m leaving” song.
13. “Gift of a Friend”-as with every Disney artist’s album, there must be a song about the beauty of true friendship. With a Celtic sound and inspirational Diane Warren-esque lyrics, the song is ok, but I was ready to go on to the next track.
14. “So Far, So Great”- if you love Demi’s TV series, “Sonny with a Chance”, you’ll love this song. Bouncy, fun and adorably optimistic, the song is about enjoying the top when you’ve finally made it.
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