#MusicMonday: "Here We Go Again"

I NEVER would have thought I'd admit to downloading ANYTHING of Demi Lovato's... and yet, here I sit about to write an entire post about her sophomore album.
It started when I first heard "Here We Go Again" on the radio. The song, and title of the new album, made me do an immediate double take. That couldn't be Kelly Clarkson, could it? I have Kelly Clarkson's albums, I'd know if it were on there. So who could be responsible for the catchy pop/rock ballad blaring through my speakers?
I happen to be a proud owner of SHAZZAM, so I stuck my cell out an awaited the display...
Demi Lovato: "Here We Go Again". At first I thought it was broken. There's no way that the Disney starlet could be responsible for this sure-fire hit.
I knew Lovato could sing... you had to be living under a rock to ignore all the promotion that came during and following her Camp Rock debut. When you sing with the Jonas Brothers you tend to get noticed. I just didn't realize that Lovato would be able to so quickly shed her 16 year old skin for a more mature sound.
Now "Here We Go Again" isn't necessarily "mature". But it reminds me more of Kelly Clarkson than... Hilary Duff. It doesn't stray from it's core audience, but at the same time it reaches out to pull in a new, untapped audience.
I figured if "Here We Go Again" was the top seller on iTunes within its first five minutes of coming out, it was worth me checking out.
And here I give my kudos to Lovato. She nailed it. Instead of following in fellow Disney teen queen Miley Cyrus' footsteps, Lovato choose music meant to make her stand out from the crowd.
There's not a hint of country here (Cyrus' songs, on the other hand, reek of it---in a good way). Instead each song pulls from a seemingly different artistic place. For example, "Got Dynamite" sounds more like something you'd hear from Pink (minus all the yelling). "U Got Nothing" is more Mandy Moore and The Weepies, only pop infused. "Remember December" is Lady Gaga minus the techno beat. It's still catchy and a potential dance hit (I'm already anticipated a remix, as is it's just a good car jam).
There are certainly tracks on the album I could do without...the Sonny With a Chance theme song being one of them. "Gift of a Friend" feels like it should be the theme to a Disney princess movie (and maybe it is...). It feels rather out of place and sing-songy for the album.
Unlike her Disney counterparts (with the exception of Cyrus who comes by it naturally--and already with three albums out THIS YEAR, has proven she's a hit maker), this album proves that Demi Lovato can actually sing. In fact, having seen her act I'm fairly certain that her musical skills trump anything she can do on screen.