Here We Go Again-Demi Lovato

Well, here we go again! It’s Demi Lovato’s sophomore album, “Here We Go Again”. The “Get Back” singer has returned and left many of her bubble gum rock songs far behind, but don’t worry, she has replaced them with an addicting variety of genres; everything from soul, to pop and yes, even a little “rock” is mixed in.

It’s a rarity to find a singer who can not only sing, but also sing a wide variety of genres and sound good doing it. Demi Lovato’s vocal range can make any song that come out from behind those pretty little lips sound as if it was made for her.

“Here We Go Again” showcases the growth as a person, singer and songwriter the Demi has gone through in the year since she released “Don’t Forget”. She has left her “brothers”, the Jonas Brothers, behind, but hasn’t forgotten them entirely. She and Nick (1/3 of the band) co-wrote the song “Stop the World” and Nick appears on the track. John Mayer is also along for the ride, helping Demi transform from her bubble gum rock days of “Don’t Forget” to her days of soulful pop-rock days of “Here We Go Again” by co-writing and playing guitar for the track “World of Chances”. Jon McLaughlin also appears on several tracks including “Falling Over Me”.

The album is a definite step up from “Don’t Forget”. Her debut was a hit and will most definitely remain a favorite for fans, but “Here We Go Again” may just take #1. While she has left almost all her messages behind (excluding the bonus tracks, “Gift of a Friend” and “So Far, So Great”), she remains a personal favorite of mine because of, well, her messages. While she may not be singing about staying true to yourself or believing in yourself, she still has one message not often found among the music on the radio today: the message of reconciliation. While many singers today (mainly of the female type) find their songs overrun by sugary-pop “love” songs and one-sided hate songs, Demi shows enough maturity to admit mistakes made or weaknesses on her part; in admitting that she is in love with a guy who repeatedly breaks her heart; in telling a guy that if they are truly in love, what other people think shouldn’t matter; she shows strength in “World of Chances”, admitting that, while she is in love with a boy, she can’t wait around forever and keep handing out chances; in “Everything You’re Not”, telling a guy what she needs. Messages such as these are rare. It seems that, in the eyes of most female singers, the guy is ALWAYS the one to blame for the break-up or heart ache. While sometimes that may be true, Demi knows it’s not ALWAYS true. I wish this was something other singers on the radio would come to realize.

Some songs on the album (just like “The Middle” from “Don’t Forget”) may be a little risqué for parents with young children. Such songs are “Got Dynamite” and “Remember December”. These songs do not go as far as to speak of sex (Demi has made a decision to abstain from sex until marriage) or even cuss, some parents may wish to avoid buying this album for their children. For teenagers on the other hand, the album is clean-cut, addictive and high-energy. It should keep you on your toes, dancing and screaming at the tops of your lungs.

*trivia

-Another song called “For the Love of a Daughter” was on the original track listing, later to be removed. Demi believed that the song was not appropriate for young children to listen to since the song was about her estranged father.

-The Target exclusive limited-edition cd featured a fold out poster.