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Confident is the fifth studio album by American singer Demi Lovato. It was released on October 16, 2015, by Hollywood, Island and Safehouse Records. The album features guest appearances from Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and American rapper Sirah. While Lovato co-wrote most of the songs on the album, she worked with writers and producers such as Max Martin, Ryan Tedder, Steve Mac, Rami and Stargate, among others.

The album received positive reviews from critics, who praised its themes. Its lead single, "Cool for the Summer", was released on July 1, 2015, peaking at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified double platinum by RIAA. The second single, "Confident", premiered on September 18, 2015, and peaked at number 21 on the Hot 100 and was certified platinum by RIAA. The third and final single, "Stone Cold", peaked at number 2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 and was certified gold by RIAA. Following its release, the album debuted at number one in Canada, while reaching the top 10 in fifteen other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.

Confident was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 59th Grammy Awards.

Background
Demi Lovato released her fourth studio album Demi in May 2013, it was commercially successful worldwide reaching top five positions in record charts of the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Spain and top ten in the United Kingdom. The album's promotional circle run until the end of 2014 with two concert tours as support: The Neon Lights Tour and the Demi World Tour. The singer first spoke about her fifth studio album during a February 2014 interview for MTV News where she revealed her plans to start recording the upcoming project during the Neon Lighs Tour.

Later in October 2014, Lovato's manager Phil McIntyre, confirmed to Billboard that the singer had done some songs for her fifth album throughout the year but told she just could put more focus on the creative process after finishing the Demi World Tour. In February 2015, Lovato teased the album with a number of posts via Twitter, writing: "I've never been more confident in my sound. Never been so sure of who I am as an artist. Never felt this hungry and driven." She further described the album as "very authentic to who she is".

In June 2015, Lovato confirmed that she had been in the studio almost every day, and would be releasing new music "very soon". Discussing the album's direction, Lovato told Ryan Seacrest that "[she was] no longer serious", stating: "I'm done with the sob stories. New chapter, new life, new album, new single — this is a completely new Demi." She also revealed that it would feature "a lot of provocative songs". The singer first teased the album by posting a video on her Twitter account that showed images of her name reminiscent of her previous albums throughout the years, with the caption, "One more thing..." On August 27, 2015, Lovato finally revealed the album's name, cover, release month, and tracklist with help of enlisted friends on Twitter.

Production
For Confident, Lovato worked with several music producers such as Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Ali Payami, Jason Evigan, Johan Carlsson, Steve Mac, Stargate, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, Babydaddy and Peter Carlsson. Lovato visited the MXM Studios to work with Martin and his production team in early 2015, her first visit resulted in the song "For You", recounting her first experience in studio with Martin, Lovato stated: "I was just so excited to get to work with Max Martin on [For You] and his camp. I was so nervous when I went in. I wanted to put my everything into that performance because I knew that I was given the opportunity that I waited for for so many years to be able to work with somebody like him." "Confident" and "Cool for the Summer", "Stars" and "Mr. Hughes" were also recorded at MXM Studios, Chalice Studios, Westlake Audio Studios in Los Angeles, California and Wolf Cousins Studios and Kinglet Studios in Stockholm. Lovato co-wrote both tracks with Martin, Kotecha, Alexander Erik, Payami and Salmazadeh. The horn arrangement from "Confident" was provided by musician Jonas Thander. The songs were mixed by Serban Ghenea and mastered by Tom Coyne. Others songs of the album also were recorded at Rokstone Studios and The Hide Out Studios in London, United Kingdom.

Most of the balladry of the album was composed by Lovato and the Swedish musician Laleh Pourkarim who produced three songs included on the record: "Father", "Stone Cold" and "Yes". Lovato said that recording "Father" was therapeutic in a way, and helped her reconcile her conflicting emotions: "To know that it wasn't really his fault really was saddening to me, I wanted to write about it. I wanted to process it, and 'Father' really helped me do that." Songwriter Gustaf Thörn helped with the writing of both "Stone Cold" and "Yes". Jason Evigan who had previously worked with Lovato on her fourth album Demi, wrote and produced "Old Ways" with Livvi Franc and additional production by Scott Hoffman (credited as Babydaddy). "Kingdom Come" was co-written by Steve Mac, American singer-songwriter Julia Michaels and the Australian rapper Iggy Azalea whose vocals appear on the track. In an interview with MTV News, Lovato explained how their collaboration came together and how Azalea knew exactly what to do without having any idea what the song sounded like: "When we finally made the decision of which songs were making the album I said, 'OK, I want her on this one.' So I called her and was like, 'Hey will you do a song?' And she's like, 'Yeah sure I'll go into the studio tonight,'" Lovato said. "I was like, 'Do you want to hear it first?' She's like, 'No it's cool.' I'm like, 'You're an amazing friend and I love you.'" Mac also composed "Waitin for You" with Evigan, rapper Sirah and Mitch Allan. Mac additionally produced and played all instruments for "Lionheart". "Wildfire" was written by Ryan Tedder, Nicole Morier and the Norwegian production team Stargate who produced the track.

Composition


In terms of music, Confident departs from the bubblegum pop and synthpop predominant sound of her previous album Demi. The album features a range of music genres: dance-pop, urban/R&B, pop rock, soul and gospel. Reviewing the album, Brittany Spanos from Rolling Stone described it as "a brassy, sleek, dynamic pop production that lets her powerful voice soar to new emotional highs." The album is introduced by a section of horns from the first track, Confident. A song about self-empowerment and confidence, it has a galloping rhythm with finger-snaps that back the entire track and come to the forefront during the start of the chorus. Nick Levine from the site NME wrote that the song "fuses hip-hop horns and Joan Jett beats and has her bragging "it's all about me tonight". Other music critics compared its rock production to that of beat of Marilyn Manson's Personal Jesus (1989). The second track "Cool for the Summer" is introduced by a piano melody, followed by a buzzing synth beat that is accompanied by guitar riffs on the chorus. A song styled in a rock edge with electronic arrangements, It lyrically talks about sexually experimenting with a female lover during summertime.

"Old Ways" references the emotional and physical issues that the singer addressed in rehab in 2010 with Lovato asserting that she is glad to be rid of past habits and refuses to give in to temptation over a hip-hop arrangement.

The album's fourth track is "For You", Maura Johnston of Billboard described it as a "majestic devotional". The song has "bombastic" drums and a backup choir singing "For you I would do anything" as Lovato sings about "summoning strength, her performance making her inner power even more plain." The album's first sentimental ballad "Stone Cold", discusses the pain of watching an ex move on and be happy with someone else. The song incorporates soul influences, and is centered on a piano melody, with a stripped down production aimed at highlighting Lovato's vocals. "Stone Cold" received comparisons to Lovato's 2011 song "Skyscraper" and the work of English singer Adele.

"Kingdom Come" and "Waitin for You" are both hip-hop-infused tracks with guest appearances from female rappers. The former "Kingdom Come" featuring Iggy Azalea is a trap-inspired song  that opens slow before launching into a fast-paced beat, Azalea's verse appears in the bridge. Several publications overcriticized "Kingdom Come" for its resemblance to Azelea's own 2014 song "Black Widow" (featuring Rita Ora).

"Waitin for You" has agressive lyrics in which Lovato claims she is aware of provocations from a person, confessing she is up for the fight. "Wildfire" finds the singer singing about a destructive relationship that she is just not willing to let go of with synths floating around her voice.

"Lionheart" is a power ballad where Lovato sings using higher vocal register while "Yes" is a sultry R&B song in which Lovato sings about being willing to give herself to a person with whom she wants to share her flaws and qualities if he says "yes".

The stripped down gospel track "Father" is the most personal song on the album, dedicated for Lovato's biological father who died in 2013. On it, Lovato sings about regret and guilt, about clung-to anger and the hope that he is in a more peaceful place. The twelfth track "Stars" is an uptempo dance-pop song. While the last track of Confident's deluxe edition "Mr. Hughes" is has a "retro-R&B" sound similar to the musical style of Amy Winehouse.

Release and promotion
Confident was the singer's first album to be released in part under the newly formed Safehouse Records, a partnership between Lovato, her manager Phil McIntyre, and Nick Jonas, as a joint venture with Island Records. Lovato stated: "I've worked closely with both Nick and Phil for years and we share the same point of view when it comes to making music. It's incredibly exciting to be part of this new company where I'm in control of all aspects of my career."

On September 29, 2015, Lovato sent her fans on a scavenger hunt. Lovato announced that she was hiding special boxes, each on a different location. Each box contained a preview of a song from the album. The first two boxes were found that same day in New York City, the first box contained a snippet of "Stone Cold" while the second contained a snippet of "Old Ways". Lovato performed "Stone Cold" in its entirety later that same day at the Highland Ballroom in New York.

Two days after the album's release, Lovato performed a "Cool for the Summer"/"Confident" medley and "Stone Cold" on Saturday Night Live during the series' forty-first season on October 17, 2015. Fuse's Jason Lipshutz acclaimed the performance and highlighted her vocals during "Stone Cold", to Lipshutz, her "Stone Cold" take is the type of performance that "confirms everything Lovato's longtime fans already knew about her," but would open the former Disney star up to a much "broader" audience. Billboard's Ashley Iasimone described the medley of "Cool for the Summer" and "Confident" as a "fiery performance that showed off the singer’s attitude and self-assurance". Devan Coggan of Entertainment Weekly complimented Lovato as a vocalist, saying she showed off some "sky-high vocals". In addition to the musical performances, Lovato also appeared in a sketch where Tracy Morgan reprised his Astronaut Jones character, with the singer portraying the "proud ruler of the Martian people." On October 22, 2015, Lovato released the music video for the R&B-infused "Waitin for You" featuring Sirah. During late October 2015, Lovato traveled to Brazil to promote the album, where she did many interviews and performances on Brazilian television as well as a private show in São Paulo to a 400 crowd.

Wearing a military-style black mini-dress, Lovato appeared on the Good Morning America on October 29, 2015 as part of their Fall Concert Series. The folowing night, she performed "Confident" on The Tonight Show and was interviwed by Jimmy Fallon who she gifted a slick black jacket that reads "Confident BFF" on the back (it was the same coat that Lovato’s team used). To promote the album in Europe, Lovato visited some radio stations and made some TV appearances incluing the  Swedish Idol where she performed "Confident" on November 6, 2015. Furthermore, Lovato performed again the title track at the 2015 BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards on November 8, 2015. On November 22, 2015, the singer made appearance with two performances at the 2015 American Music Awards. She first sang a duet with Canadian rockstar Alanis Morissette of her 1995 song "You Oughta Know" and later appeared singing "Confident" in a a ruffly black ensemble and knee-high boots. Lovato also was one of the headliners performers at the 2015 106.1 KISS FM Fall Ball on November 14, 2015, as well as the iHeartRadio's 2015 Jingle Ball Tour in selected cities.

Lovato performed on the second edition of the Victoria's Secret Swim Special, which aired on March 9, 2016.

Tour
Lovato and Nick Jonas announced that they would go on a co-headlining tour, the Future Now Tour, on the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show on October 26, 2015.

Singles
"Cool for the Summer" reached international success, it was serviced as the lead single from the record on July 1, 2015, it debuted at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its first week dated July 18, 2015, selling 80,000 copies in. It entered the Hot 100's top 20 on the chart dated August 15, 2015 and peaked at number 11. It has since been certified double platinum in the US by the RIAA. The song went top 10 in the UK, New Zealand, Scotland, the Czech Republic, Mexico and Lebanon and top 20 in Canada, Ireland, Australia and Spain.

The title track, "Confident", was released as the second single on September 18, 2015 and eventually peaked at number 21 in the US. The song peaked number 1 on US Hot Dance/Club Songs. The music video for "Confident" was released on October 9, 2015 through Lovato's Vevo channel. It went top 20 in the Czech Republic as well as top 30 in Canada, Scotland, New Zealand and Slovakia. The track was certified platinum in the United States.

"Stone Cold" was released as the only promotional single from the album on October 9, 2015. On March 21, 2016, the song was released as the third and final single and peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under the Hot 100. It was later certified gold in the United States.

Critical reception
Upon its release, Confident received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Awarding the album four stars at AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine writing, "the cumulative result is a messy, colorful modern pop record that is greater than the sum of its parts." Annie Zaleski from The A.V. Club gave the album a B+, saying, "Confident is an impressive album by a pop star who knows what she wants—and also knows exactly how to get there." The Guardian gave a mixed review of the album, saying, "Only a certain sheen that turns her vocals into a generic hybrid of Sia and Kelly Clarkson stops Confident from being one of the pop albums of 2015." Mike Wass from Idolator gave a mixed review, saying, "There's no right or wrong approach, but if you're going to relaunch as an irreverent pop siren like Teenage Dream-era Katy Perry, you better have an album full of surefire hits to back it up. And Confident is lacking in that department." Nick Levine gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, saying, "It's powerful stuff, especially from a singer who has bravely spoken out about her past struggles with depression, drug and alcohol abuse and an eating disorder, but ultimately Confident feels a bit relentless."

Glenn Gamboa from Newsday gave a more positive review, saying, "On Confident, Lovato's swaggering search for self is remarkably revealing, as she tackles everything from sexual experimentation to mental health issues to her relationship with her estranged father." Writing for Billboard, Maura Johnston gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, saying, "Her willingness to own every step and misstep, and to show her audience how the rough times helped her become the woman she is, makes Confident a surprisingly compelling listen." Tim Stack from Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+, saying, "Over 11 tracks Lovato's energy is unwavering, sometimes to a fault. So it's a welcome relief that she takes a moment to reveal a softer side on the gospel-tinged ballad "Father," a tear-jerking tribute to her estranged late dad." Richard Godwin from the London Evening Standard gave the album a negative review, saying, "She's more at home on the ballads such as Lionheart, while Kingdom Come, an atmospheric prowl featuring Iggy Azalea, all moody changes and trap beats, is a welcome respite from a personality record weirdly lacking in personality." Patrick Ryan from USA Today gave the album 2.5 out of 4 stars, saying, "Confident is overall an assured step forward for Lovato, who should only hone her sound and style by the time album No. 6 rolls around."