Unbroken

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Former Disney star's post-rehab CD is honest yet optimistic.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Unbroken is largely clean by objective standards: it features no profanity, only a few vague references to kissing and sex, and one mild track that likens having your heart stolen to a stick-up. That said, it's still a somewhat mature album in the sense that it alludes to the end of childhood innocence -- for example, "In real life, it doesn't always work out / People fall in love and then they fall out." The more emotionally mature overtone of the album puts it a bit beyond the reach of very young kids.

 
  • Most messages are about the ups and downs of love, with songs like "Mistake" including a positive message about having the strength to walk away from a bad romance, and tracks such as "Hold Up" containing the opposite message about being "addicted" to someone and giving "anything you want."
  • For the most part, the role model behaviors represented here are positive -- with Lovato giving an honest account of real-life highs and lows.
  • Though it doesn't reference guns specifically, the song "Hold Up" uses a gun metaphor to describe having your heart stolen by someone.
  • A few references to kissing and the bedroom; for example, "I could see us makin' ways from the back of the club to a bed in the shade."

What's the story?

In her first album since completing treatment for physical and emotional issues, former Sonny with a Chance star Demi Lovato talks a lot about young love, yet she also touches on more "real life" subjects, like a father's abandonment of his family and his alcoholism and situations where romantic relationships end. It's a mature album in an emotional sense.


Is it any good?

 

While Lovato runs strong out of the gate with an addictive kick-off track, "All Night Long" (featuring guest vocals by Missy Elliott and production by Timbaland), the rest of this album lapses into some more familiar synth-pop patterns. Still, she clearly sings her heart out here, making this collection of tunes pack more overall punch than releases from many of her peers. 


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the similarities and differences between this album and When the Sun Goes Down, from Lovato's fellow Disney star and friend, Selena Gomez. While Lovato underwent treatment for physical and emotional issues, Gomez has had a happier personal journey of late. How are these two realities reflected in the artists' music?

  • Was it brave of Lovato to share her struggles honestly, or do you feel it was too much information? Are young singers and celebrities required to be role models? Why or why not?


This review was written by Stephanie Bruzzese
Teen, 16 years old
December 13, 2011
 
Awesome R&B album is good for older tweens and teens
At first, I didn't know if it would really be the kind of R&B I like, but I decided to listen to it. I heard "Skyscraper" and upbeat songs and I thought it was good. Then I listened to some more later on and I decided that ---- I really like this album! Except, I don't know why she (or Selena in her recent album) talk about drinking when their not even old enough to it. (maybe it's different in Hollywood, but that's something different) I always thought she had a beautiful voice, but now in this album it improves even more. (Her voice is kind of like Christina Aguilera's!) Anyway, this album is really good. :-)

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Kid, 12 years old
December 21, 2011
 
A Positive Post-Rehab Album
I love this album! I bought it just yesterday, and already I have favorite songs! Most of the messages are positive, such as that of "Skyscraper", "Give Your Heart a Break", and "Together". Others deal with young love and breakups ("My Love is Like a Star, "Hold Up", and "Mistake") "For The Love Of A Daughter" deals with a father's addiction to alcohol. "Who's That Boy" has the word "d**n". But, still, a good and positive album.

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Teen, 17 years old
December 15, 2011
 
Awesome!!! :)
I have always loved Demi Lovato and I think this is her best album so far :)

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Teen, 13 years old
February 17, 2012
 
Lovato is a positive role-model
Lovato is a positive role-model for tween and teens (maybe even for adults) BECAUSE of her issues and because of her facing her problems, getting help and getting it all together again. It can motivate other people (especially teen girls) to do the same thing. As Demi herself always says: 'If you're dealing with the issues I have dealt with, get help. Tell someone. a family member, someone you live with, your teacher, a close friend. Anybody' 'It gets better, if you're going through hell, keep going' 'Love Is Louder Than The Pressure To Be Perfect'. In short: The perfect role-model for your kid, because she herself isn't perfect. Making mistakes but learning from them. That's what you want you want your kids to learn, right? It's okay to make mistakes. You're perfectly imperfect, just the way you are. Skinny, curvy, tall, short it doesn't matter. Wow, that was like a speech. But having to deal with problems like these myself I know how important people like this are in our society. And it's a fun album for kids to dance to, too.

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Teen, 14 years old
January 25, 2012
 
Great
Demi Lovato is an amazing singer. This also a great album, that is appropriate for about ages 11 & up. Violence: None, only a few refrences to bleeding in "Skyscraper" & to weapons in "Hold Up". Sex: In "Who's That Boy" there is a line that says "I can see us making ways, from the back of the club to a bed in the shade" and a few kissing refrences of course. Language: "d__n" in "Who That's Boy" is as bad as it gets. Drinking: "In Real Life" talks about champagne and in "For the Love of a Daughter" it adresses a father's drinking problem. Overall, this is a very good album. It has positive messages in "Skyscraper" and "Together and for the most part is appropriate for tweens/teens.

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Teen, 16 years old
March 4, 2012
 
Uplifting, but a few mixed messages
I am definately a Demi Lovato fan and am proud of her courage to come back after rehab. However, I found the questionable content of the lyrics was a turn off. "All night long" describes a potentially sexual sleepover. "who's that boy" is the most sexually explicit track and also includes the album's only profanity. "Unbroken" is not necessarily supposed to be sexual, but in context with the other songs it can be interpreted that way. Also, "Hold up" contains a couple suggestive lines. Other than the reference to champagne in "real life" the rest of the album is actually very encouraging and promotes self esteem. The powerful "skyscraper" was very uplifting. As a whole the album was actually very inspiring, but I feel the mixed messages make it inappropriate for young audiences.

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Kid, 12 years old
April 27, 2012
 
AwesomeSauce!
Very mild language only containing the H-word and the D-word. 12 and up depending on maturity it is def. a teen abulm. Demi has left DIsney and is ''of to the races,I'm going places''. Looks like 'so far, so great'.

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Kid, 11 years old
March 14, 2012
 
great
the album is great, nuff said

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This review was written by Stephanie Bruzzese
Artist:Demi Lovato
Type:Album
Release date:October 27, 2011
Label:Hollywood Records
Genre:Pop
Parental advisory:No
Edited version available:No

This review was written by Stephanie Bruzzese
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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