Demi Lovato: 'Don't Forget' Album Review

Artist: Demi Lovato

Album: Don't Forget: International Deluxe Edition

Featured Guests: Jonas Brothers

Release Date: 17 April 2009 (IRL), 20 April 2009 (UK)

Genre: Pop rock, teen pop, bubblegum pop, power pop, power ballad, neo soul

Peak Position: 84 (IRL), 108 (UK)

Strongest Track: Don't Forget

Weakest Track: Gonna Get Caught

Singles:

Get Back (not released in UK and Ireland)
La La Land (released in UK and Ireland, June 2009 and May 2009 respectively)
Don't Forget (not released in UK and Ireland)

TRACK BY TRACK:
1. LA LA LAND:
Still haven't made up my mind what I think of this song, you can look at it as either an annoyingly, catchy contrived bouncy pop rock song or a genuine pop song about the evils of Hollywood and how Lovato will defy these evils.

2. GET BACK:
A bit like La La Land but not as annoyingly Disney, this has a more snarly punk edge with spiky guitar riffs. Lovato sounds like Avril Lavigne here.

3. TRAINWRECK:
Again another bouncy pop rock track sounding something like a cross between the first two tracks on the album.

4. PARTY:
With a big meaty guitar riff and a glam stomper sound, this sounds like it would be played in a (pre-teen) biker bar.

5. ON THE LINE (featuring Jonas Brothers):
While Lovato's vocals are impressive here, this a rather sickeningly, cheesy duet with the Jonas Brothers.

6. DON'T FORGET:
Definitely showing her maturity on this song, this power ballad shows off her talents as a vocalist and lyricist, Lovato almost sings this song completely in a falsetto which really highlights her vunerability and emotion.

7. GONNA GET CAUGHT:
Another strong vocal performance from Demi but this is lacking in anything interesting, teen pop we've heard lots of times.

8. TWO WORLDS COLLIDE:
Sounds like a song that would soundtrack the end of a cheesy teen flick when the two love interests have their first kiss after all their "hardships".

9. THE MIDDLE:
Has a more ominous tone than any of the other songs with a nice, angsty vocal leading up to the chorus.

10. UNTIL YOUR MINE:
An acoustic tinged, rousing rocker that is simply filler.

11. BELIEVE IN ME:
A typically angsty mid-tempo ballad about being left out but Demi does convey some vunerability nicely.

12. BEHIND ENEMY LINES:
A cool, beautiful and breezy soulful tune with some nice percussion involved.

13. LA QUO SOY:
Demi does a Christina Aguilera and re-records one of her songs in Spanish. Although the English version of this song is unbearably cheesy, in Spanish it has a rather beautiful understated quality to it.

14. BACK AROUND:
With punky angsty vocals, this is probably the most head banging song on the record and Lovato comes across as a more tweenage Hayley Williams from the band Paramore.

VERDICT:
If you couldn't quite make up our mind about La La Land like myself then don't nessecarily dump this album. Even though I had thought of Lovato as another annoying Disney kid, I have changed my mind immediately. I find Lovato very likeable in fact and she has some powerhouse voice, it really is stunning for her 16 years.

She also proves to be a fairly effective lyricist and has performed live playing the guitar and piano segments on the songs of this album. While this is still undeniably teen pop that's either purely forgettable or it will stick in your head like bubblegum. Lovato is a bit like Miley Cyrus as they are creating much more fantastic teen pop than what Hilary Duff or Mandy Moore were doing back in the day. I am actually looking forward to Lovato's next album because if anything she shows a lot of promise and who knows what she will be like by the time Album #2 is released.
3/5

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