On oct. 9 Selena Gomez released an album that was less than a revival. One Week later, her on-and-off BFF Demi Lovato did the same. And while “Confident” oozes confidence, it isn’t exactly revolutionary either.
After reveling in the success of “Cool for the Summer” and “Confident,” Lovato finally released her full-length album Oct. 16. With a robust lineup of 11 tracks “Confident” looks promising on surface, but a quick listen reveals a record that lacks the fun and depth of Lovato’s former album, “Demi.”
“Confident” starts out strong with a title track that features a funky brass and fun snaps. Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn’t exactly change Demi’s apparently “underrated” status in music.
The more adult pop sound of “Confident” blends many of the tracks together in a forgetful haze. Songs like “Kingdom Come (ft. Iggy Azalea),” “Waitin For You” and “Wildfire” are far too slow to sit back to back.
While some songs are a bit too snoozy, others are entirely too big. “For You” sounds like an unreleased track from some mysterious Lady Gaga album rather than a Demi Lovato original. Additionally, “Stone Cold” features Lovato’s voice reaching far higher than what’s necessary to complement the amazing instrumentals.
Tracks like “Lionheart” and “Father,” however, are just big enough to remind the ears why Lovato is an amazing vocalist without all the theatrics of runs and vibrato notes.
One thing this album really lacks are strong pop tunes like “Heart Attack” and “Really Don’t Care,” five-star hits from Lovato’s 2013 album.
“Old Ways” is steady and edgy but falls just short of satisfaction. “Stars” is perhaps the only track that qualifies as a “solo dance party” song. Unfortunately, it isn’t even a track on the original album, but a bonus on the deluxe instead.
The ballads also fail to trigger chills and goosebumps like “Nightingale,” the dominant slow song from “Demi.”
While the album isn’t exactly as fun as her previous works, Lovato did deliver on the promise of a more soulful record. Many of the tracks echo the influences of Gospel and R&B.
The verses of “Yes” are definitely reminiscent of the R&B hits of the 90s. The way Lovato’s voice glides when she sings the word make you want to sing and snap along with her, while the latter half of the song is totally gospel inspired.
“Father” likewise sounds like a church choir singing directly toward heaven. And “Mr. Hughes” feels like a long lost Destiny’s Child track, only Lovato doesn’t need three voices to make the song amazing.
All in all, “Confident” is a fair album. It may not necessarily hold a candle to Lovato’s other musical feats, but it’s good enough to buy and worth traveling to see performed on her next tour.
As the saying goes, once a Lovatic…
