Confident (album)
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''Confident'' is the fifth
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by American singer
Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), she starred in the Disney Channel short series ...
. It was released on October 16, 2015, by
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
,
Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
and Safehouse Records. While Lovato co-wrote most of the songs on the album, she worked with writers and producers such as
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic
known professional ...
,
Ryan Tedder Ryan Benjamin Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, frontman, and lead vocalist for the pop rock band OneRepublic, while also serving as a prolific cont ...
,
Steve Mac Steve McCutcheon (born 15 January 1972), known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern Briti ...
, Rami and
Stargate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
, among others. Musically, ''Confident'' is primarily a
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
,
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
, and
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...
record with influences of R&B,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
, EDM and urban. The album features guest appearances from Australian rapper
Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea ( ), is an Australian rapper. Born in Sydney, Azalea moved to the United States at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. She earned public recognition ...
and American rapper Sirah. ''Confident'' received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many praising 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 being certified 3× Platinum by
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). The second single, " Confident", premiered on September 18, 2015, and peaked at number 21 on the Hot 100 and was certified 4× Platinum by RIAA. The third and final single, " Stone Cold", peaked at number 2 on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
and was certified Platinum by the 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. The album was further promoted with a concert tour co-headlined with
Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...
, entitled the Future Now Tour. ''Confident'' was nominated for
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
at the
59th Annual Grammy Awards The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year ...
, marking Lovato's first career Grammy nomination.


Background and development

After releasing her fourth studio album ''
Demi Demi is a feminine given name with Greek and Latin roots, and it is a surname with Albanian origins. Demi was originally a nickname of Demetria, the feminine form of the masculine name Demetrius, which is itself the Latin and English spelling of ...
'' in May 2013, Lovato confirmed in February 2014 that she was working on her fifth studio effort, stating, "The sound just evolves into everything that I've been and everything that I want to become." Lovato also said, "I've never been so sure of myself as an artist when it comes down to confidence, but not only personal things, but exactly what I want my sound to be and what I know I'm capable of and this album will give me the opportunity to show people what I can really do." The following October, Lovato's then-manager confirmed to ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' that she had "done some songs, but certainly the majority of it will kick off next year", following her
Demi World Tour The Demi World Tour was the fourth headlining concert tour and second worldwide tour by American singer Demi Lovato. It was her second tour in support of her fourth studio album ''Demi'' (2013), following The Neon Lights Tour. During most of the ...
. In February 2015, Lovato teased the album with a number of posts on
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, 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." Lovato further described the album as "very authentic to who I am". In June 2015, Lovato confirmed that she had been in the studio almost every day and would be releasing new music "very soon". Lovato revealed to
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
: "This time around, I was able to explore different sounds, and hone in icon something that I'm really proud of." Lovato also expressed wishes to work with rapper
Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea ( ), is an Australian rapper. Born in Sydney, Azalea moved to the United States at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. She earned public recognition ...
on the album.


Recording and production

For ''Confident'', Lovato worked with
music producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
s including
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic
known professional ...
, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Ali Payami,
Jason Evigan Jason Gregory Evigan (born June 10, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as the vocalist for the rock band After Midnight Project, which was formed in 2004 before disbanding in 2012. His songwriting or producti ...
, Johan Carlsson,
Steve Mac Steve McCutcheon (born 15 January 1972), known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern Briti ...
,
Stargate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
, Carl Falk,
Rami Yacoub Rami Yacoub (born 17 January 1975), also known by the mononym Rami, is a Palestinian-Swedish record producer and songwriter and former member of the songwriting/production houses Cheiron Studios and Maratone. Yacoub collaborated extensively wi ...
,
Babydaddy Scott Hoffman (born September 1, 1976), known by his stage name Babydaddy, is an American musician and the Ivor Novello Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, backing vocalist and composer for the U.S. glam rock band Scissor Sisters. He is the br ...
and Peter Carlsson. Discussing the album's direction, Lovato told
Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American television presenter and producer. Seacrest is the host of '' Wheel of Fortune'', having hosted since replacing long-time host Pat Sajak in September 2024. Seacrest co-hosted and ser ...
that "I'm 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 first songs "Confident" and "Cool for the Summer" among with "Stars" and "Mr. Hughes" were recorded at MXM Studios, Chalice Studios, Westlake Audio Studios in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
and Wolf Cousins Studios and Kinglet Studios in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
. Lovato co-wrote both tracks with Martin, Kotecha, Alexander Erik, Payami and Salmazadeh. The
horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...
arrangement from "Confident" was provided by musician Jonas Thander. The songs were both 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 London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. "For You" was one of the first songs recorded for the album, describing how it was working with the producer Max Martin in the song's production, Lovato revealed, "I was just so excited to get to work with Max Martin on this song 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." The ballad "Father" is the most personal song on the album. It is dedicated to Lovato's biological father who died in 2013. The song was co-written by Lovato and Swedish musician Laleh Pourkarim who also produced the song and contributed on the background vocals. Lovato said that recording the song 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," Lovato continued. "I wanted to write about it. I wanted to process it, and 'Father' really helped me do that." Lovato and Pourkarim with Gustaf Thörn also co-wrote "Stone Cold" and "Yes". The musician
Jason Evigan Jason Gregory Evigan (born June 10, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as the vocalist for the rock band After Midnight Project, which was formed in 2004 before disbanding in 2012. His songwriting or producti ...
wrote and produced "Old Ways" with Olivia Waithe and additional production by Scott Hoffman (credited Babydaddy). "Kingdom Come" was co-written by
Steve Mac Steve McCutcheon (born 15 January 1972), known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern Briti ...
,
Julia Michaels Julia Carin Michaels (''Birth name, née'' Cavazos; born November 13, 1993) is an American singer and songwriter. She has received six Grammy Award nominations, including twice for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, Song of the Year and Grammy A ...
and the Australian rapper
Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea ( ), is an Australian rapper. Born in Sydney, Azalea moved to the United States at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. She earned public recognition ...
who features guest appearance on the song. In an interview with
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
, Lovato explained how her collaboration came together – and how Azalea knew exactly what to do without 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, American rapper Sirah and Mitch Allan. He produced and played all keyboards in "Lionheart". "Wildfire" was written by
Ryan Tedder Ryan Benjamin Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, frontman, and lead vocalist for the pop rock band OneRepublic, while also serving as a prolific cont ...
, and Nicole Morier and the Norwegian production team
Stargate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
who produced the track.


Music and lyrics

In terms of music, ''Confident'' departs from the
bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, th ...
and
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...
predominant sound of her previous album ''
Demi Demi is a feminine given name with Greek and Latin roots, and it is a surname with Albanian origins. Demi was originally a nickname of Demetria, the feminine form of the masculine name Demetrius, which is itself the Latin and English spelling of ...
'', in favour of a modern
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
sound, featuring "steely, assured
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
" and "shimmering
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
". Reviewing the album, Brittany Spanos from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' described it as "a brassy, sleek, dynamic pop production that lets ovato'spowerful voice soar to new emotional highs." The album begins with horns that introduced the title track ''Confident''. It features horns samples and finger snaps that back the entire track and come to the forefront during the start of the chorus. Lyrically, the song talk about
self-empowerment Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...
and
confidence Confidence is the feeling of belief or trust that a person or thing is reliable. * * * Self-confidence is trust in oneself. Self-confidence involves a positive belief that one can generally accomplish what one wishes to do in the future. Sel ...
. Nick Levine from the site ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' wrote that the song "fuses
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
horns and
Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...
beats and has ovatobragging "it's all about me tonight". Critics noted that the song
beat Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...
is reminiscent of
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...
's "
Personal Jesus "Personal Jesus" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released as the lead single from their seventh studio album, '' Violator'' (1990), in 1989. It reached 13 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 28 on the US ''B ...
" (2004). The second track " Cool for the Summer" is introduced by a
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
melody, followed by a buzzing synth beat, that is accompanied by guitar riffs on the
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...
. Musically the song is styled in a
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
edge with electronic arrangements. Lyrically, the song is about sexually experimenting with a female lover during summertime. In "Old Ways", Lovato asserts that she is glad to be rid of past habits and refuses to give in to temptation. The song uses a
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
arrangement in the production. The album's fourth track is "For You",
Maura Johnston Maura K. Johnston (born May 28, 1975) is a writer, editor and music critic. A member of Boston College's journalism faculty, she has written for ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Boston Globe'', ''Pitchfork'', ''The Awl'', ''The New York Times'', ''Spin' ...
of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' described it as a "majestic devotional". She noted the song "has 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 first
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
, "Stone Cold" discusses the pain of watching an ex move on and be happy with someone else. The song incorporates
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
and
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
influences, and is centered on a
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
melody, with a stripped down production aimed at highlighting Lovato's vocals. "Stone Cold" received comparisons to Lovato's 2011 song "
Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
" and the work of English singer
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...
. The album follow with the trap-
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
song "Kingdom Come" it features vocal appearance by rapper
Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea ( ), is an Australian rapper. Born in Sydney, Azalea moved to the United States at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. She earned public recognition ...
. Several critics noted that the song is comparable to Azalea's " Black Widow" (2014), featuring
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...
. "Waitin for You" featuring vocals by singer Sirah, musically, it's an R&B and
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
song that starts with a "dark and atmospheric opening" and is characteristic for having "a massive beat increase which appears to result in a impending crescendo but then results in a beat-drop". "Wildfire" is a
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
-
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
song. In the song, Lovato sings with
synths A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...
and snaps floating around her voice. "Yes" was described as a sultry R&B song while in "Father" Lovato uses a higher
vocal register A vocal register is a range of tones in the human voice produced by a particular vibratory pattern of the vocal folds. These registers include modal voice (or normal voice), vocal fry, falsetto, and the whistle register. Registers originate in lar ...
, which "maximizes her emotional impact". The stripped down
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
song "Father" is dedicated for Lovato's biological father who died in 2013. It is the most personal song on the album. The Sleigh Bells-sampling twelfth track "Stars" is an
uptempo A variety of musical terms is encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings ...
pop song with a "killer chorus", while the last track of ''Confident''s deluxe edition "Mr. Hughes" is a "retro-R&B" song.


Release

''Confident'' was the singer's first album to be released in part under the then newly formed Safehouse Records, a partnership between Lovato, and her former manager Phil McIntyre, and
Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...
, as a joint venture with
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
. 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."


Promotion

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 New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, 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. On October 17, 2015, Lovato performed a " Cool for the Summer" and " Confident" medley, and "Stone Cold" on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' during the series' forty-first season. On October 22, 2015, Lovato released the music video for the R&B-infused " Waitin for You" featuring Sirah. 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 ''Elvis Duran and the Morning Show'' (formerly known as ''The Z Morning Zoo'') is an American syndicated weekday morning radio program hosted by Elvis Duran. The show originates from the studios of Newark-licensed WHTZ in New York City, a To ...
'' on October 26, 2015. Lovato performed on the second edition of the '' Victoria's Secret Swim Special'', which aired on March 9, 2016.


Singles

" Cool for the Summer" reached international success, it was serviced as the
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
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. 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 Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. 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, with the album's pre-order 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 Vevo LLC ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized in all caps until 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available ...
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 triple 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 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
. It was later certified gold in the United States. The music video for the song was released on February 23, 2016.


Critical reception

Upon its release, ''Confident'' received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Awarding the album four stars at
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
writing, "the cumulative result is a messy, colorful modern pop record that is greater than the sum of its parts."
Annie Zaleski Annie Zaleski is a ''New York Times'' best-selling author and music historian. Career Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The Guardian and NPR Music, and a columnist at ''Salon''. She is based in Cleveland, Ohio w ...
from ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' 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 ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' 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 Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...
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 Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...
, 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 ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...
'' 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, " ovato'swillingness 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 ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' 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 ''
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'' gave the album a negative review, saying, " ovato'smore 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 ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' 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."


Year-end lists


Accolades


Commercial performance

''Confident'' debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 98,000 units (77,000 in pure album sales), behind
Pentatonix Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) are an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Matt Sallee, and Kevin Olusola. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements wit ...
's self-titled album. It has since sold over 1,000,000 copies in the country, and was certified Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). In the United Kingdom, the album opened at number six on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, becoming Lovato's highest-charting album there at the time.


Track listing

Notes * signifies an additional producer * signifies a vocal producer * signifies an assistant producer * signifies a
remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
er


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of ''Confident''.


Performers and musicians

*
Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), she starred in the Disney Channel short series ...
– lead vocals, background vocals, piano (tracks 5, 11), keys (track 10) *
Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea ( ), is an Australian rapper. Born in Sydney, Azalea moved to the United States at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. She earned public recognition ...
– vocals (track 6) * Sirah – vocals (track 7) *Erik Arvinder – strings (track 11) *
Babydaddy Scott Hoffman (born September 1, 1976), known by his stage name Babydaddy, is an American musician and the Ivor Novello Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, backing vocalist and composer for the U.S. glam rock band Scissor Sisters. He is the br ...
– keys (track 3) *David Bukovinszky – cello (tracks 4, 13) *Mattias Bylund – strings (track 4) * Johan Carlsson – background vocals (tracks 4, 13), keys (tracks 4, 13), guitar (tracks 4, 13), percussion (track 4), bass (track 13) * Peter Carlsson – live drums (track 1) *
Jason Evigan Jason Gregory Evigan (born June 10, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as the vocalist for the rock band After Midnight Project, which was formed in 2004 before disbanding in 2012. His songwriting or producti ...
– keys (track 3), all instrumentation (track 7) * Carl Falk – background vocals (track 12) *Colette Falla – background vocals (track 4) *Staffan Findin – trombone (track 1) *Kristoffer Fogelmark – background vocals (track 12) * Livvi Franc – additional background vocals (track 3) * Paul Gendler – guitar (track 9) * Rickard Göransson – percussion (track 1) *Oscar Holter – background vocals (track 1) *Mattias Johansson – violin (tracks 4, 13) *
Savan Kotecha Savan Harish Kotecha (born August 28, 1978) is an American songwriter and record producer from Austin, Texas. Kotecha is of Indian ( Gujarati) descent. He was also the executive music producer of the 2020 film '' Eurovision Song Contest: The S ...
– background vocals (tracks 1, 2) *Chris Laws – drums (tracks 6, 9) *
Steve Mac Steve McCutcheon (born 15 January 1972), known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern Briti ...
– all keyboards (tracks 6, 9), all instrumentation (track 7) *
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic
known professional ...
– keys (track 1), percussion (track 1) *Eru Matsumoto – cello (track 5) *Albin Nedler – background vocals (track 12) *Karl Olandersson – trumpets (track 1) * Ali Payami – guitar (track 2), drums (track 2), percussion (track 2) *Stefan Persson – trumpets (track 1) * Laleh Pourkarim – background vocals (tracks 5, 10, 11), piano (track 5), bass (tracks 5, 11), synth (tracks 5, 10, 11), percussion (track 11), organ (track 11), guitar (track 11) * Ilya Salmanzadeh – background vocals (track 1), guitar (track 1), bass (track 1), keys (track 1), percussion (track 1), drums (track 13) *
Stargate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
– all instruments (track 8) *
Ryan Tedder Ryan Benjamin Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, frontman, and lead vocalist for the pop rock band OneRepublic, while also serving as a prolific cont ...
– background vocals (track 8) *Jonas Thander – saxophone (track 1) *Gustaf Thörn – background vocals (tracks 5, 10, 11), piano (tracks 5, 11), synth (tracks 5, 11), keys (track 10), organ (tracks 10, 11), bass (track 10) *
Ina Wroldsen Ina Christine Wroldsen (; born 29 May 1984), previously known simply as Ina, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. She was a part of the electropop duo Ask Embla with Icelandic producer and songwriter Arnthor Birgisson. Career Wroldsen's c ...
– background vocals (track 9) *
Rami Yacoub Rami Yacoub (born 17 January 1975), also known by the mononym Rami, is a Palestinian-Swedish record producer and songwriter and former member of the songwriting/production houses Cheiron Studios and Maratone. Yacoub collaborated extensively wi ...
– background vocals (track 12)


Production

*
Mitch Allan Mitchell Allan Scherr is an American record producer, songwriter, and singer. He has worked with artists including Demi Lovato, Third Eye Blind, Miley Cyrus, Carlie Hanson, Jason Derulo, Pitbull, Fifth Harmony, Kelly Clarkson, Simple Plan, Fait ...
– vocal production (tracks 3, 7, 8) *
Babydaddy Scott Hoffman (born September 1, 1976), known by his stage name Babydaddy, is an American musician and the Ivor Novello Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, backing vocalist and composer for the U.S. glam rock band Scissor Sisters. He is the br ...
– additional production (track 3) *Spencer Bastian – additional programming (track 3) *Cory Bice – engineering (track 13) *Mattias Bylund – string arrangement (tracks 4, 13) * Johan Carlsson – music production (tracks 4, 13), vocal production (tracks 4, 13), drum programming (track 13) * Peter Carlsson – vocal production (tracks 4, 13) * Tom Coyne – mastering *
Jason Evigan Jason Gregory Evigan (born June 10, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as the vocalist for the rock band After Midnight Project, which was formed in 2004 before disbanding in 2012. His songwriting or producti ...
– music production (tracks 3, 7) * Carl Falk – music production (track 12), programming (track 12) *
Serban Ghenea Serban Ghenea () is a Canadian audio engineer and mixer. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award a total of 45 times and has won 21 times. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Romania, and in 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. H ...
– mixing (tracks 1-7, 9-13) *Sam Holland – engineering (tracks 1, 2, 4, 13) *Chris Laws – engineering (tracks 6, 9), additional engineering (track 7) *
Steve Mac Steve McCutcheon (born 15 January 1972), known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern Briti ...
– music production (tracks 6, 7, 9) *Mag – FX programming (track 10), drum programming (track 10) *
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic
known professional ...
– music production (tracks 1, 2), programming (track 1), additional programming (track 2) *Randy Merrill – assistant mastering *Noah "Mailbox" Passovoy – engineering (track 4) * Ali Payami – music production (tracks 2, 4), programming (track 2) * Laleh Pourkarim – music production (tracks 5, 10, 11), vocal production (track 10), cello arrangement (track 5), engineering (tracks 5, 10, 11), drum programming (tracks 5, 10, 11), FX programming (track 10), synth programming (track 11) *Dann Pursey – engineering (tracks 6, 9) *Daniela Rivera – additional engineering (track 8), assistant engineering (track 8) * Ilya Salmanzadeh – music production (tracks 1, 13), programming (track 1), drum programming (track 13) *
Stargate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
– music production (track 8) *
Phil Tan Phil Tan is a Malaysian-American audio engineer and mixer. He is a three time Grammy Award recipient, having received 14 nominations for the award. Early life and education Tan was born in Malaysia. He attended Full Sail University in Florida in ...
– mixing (track 8) *Isaiah Tejada – additional programming (track 3) *Jonas Thander – horn arrangement (track 1) *Gustaf Thörn – assistant production (track 10), assistant engineering (tracks 5, 10, 11), string arrangement (track 5), synth programming (track 11) *
Rami Yacoub Rami Yacoub (born 17 January 1975), also known by the mononym Rami, is a Palestinian-Swedish record producer and songwriter and former member of the songwriting/production houses Cheiron Studios and Maratone. Yacoub collaborated extensively wi ...
– music production (track 12), programming (track 12)


Design

*Sandy Brummels – creative direction *Jessica Kelly – additional packaging design *Todd Russell – art direction and design * Yu Tsai – photography


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of 2015 albums * List of number-one albums of 2015 (Canada) * List of UK top-ten albums in 2015


References

{{Authority control 2015 albums Demi Lovato albums Hollywood Records albums Island Records albums Safehouse Records albums Albums produced by Ilya Salmanzadeh Albums produced by Jason Evigan Albums produced by Max Martin Albums produced by Stargate Albums produced by Steve Mac Albums recorded at Westlake Recording Studios Albums produced by Johan Carlsson