By Tristan Weisenbach
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Demi Lovato is back with her newest remix album, “REVAMPED,” adding rock beats to some of her popular hit songs originally released throughout her career.
“REVAMPED” is a 10-song album composed solely of “rock versions” of popular singles off her older albums. Lovato began to dabble in the rock/punk genre with her 2022 album “HOLY FVCK,” and she continues a similar style here.
Lovato starts the album off strong with “Heart Attack - Rock Version.” This twist on the 2013 song is rather similar to the original, but brings heavy bass and drums. The new elements are a good touch, and the track definitely packs a punch.
“Confident - Rock Version” not only matches the energy of the previous song, but outdoes it too. The drums and guitar-backing complement the already powerful vocals, creating a remixed track that is better than the original.
The first of multiple featured-artists on the album is found on the next song, “Sorry Not Sorry - Rock Version.” The artist Slash was not on the original version of this song, but brings an interesting element to this one. His scream-like, gritty vocals add a hardcore tone, which seems to overdo it. However, the added guitar riff section in the bridge is the highlight of this track.
“Cool For The Summer - Rock Version” continues the trend and adds a creative, small lyric change too. In the pre-chorus of the original 2015 song, Lovato sings “Don’t tell your mother / Kiss one another.” However, in the new version, “Don’t tell your mother” becomes “Go tell your mother.” That little change is the perfect touch.
With such a lively and upbeat start to the album, it was disappointing to hear those core elements of rock music gradually fade out with each additional song in “REVAMPED.” “Tell Me You Love Me - Rock Version” maintains it, but it is a much slower tune compared to the first four songs.
“Neon Lights - Rock Version” featuring The Maine was a bit of a disappointment. The rock elements persisted, but they were incorporated in a way that ended up losing the original melody and song structure. The contrasting harmonies and vocals of Lovato and The Maine did not fit together and came across in an almost competitive way.
The next song, “Skyscraper - Rock Version,” was unfortunately anything but rock. Both the original and new versions of this song are very slow and have a strong focus on the impressive, deep vocal ability that Lovato showcases. The choice to turn this track into a rock version did not make sense, as the melody is slow and drags on without much of a rock feel at all.
The much-loved and impressive guitar that was a mainstay in the beginning of the album returned in “La La Land - Rock Version” featuring Nita Strauss. The beginning of this track is repetitive, but the ending is worth the wait. This song has arguably one of the strongest endings on the album.
“Give Your Heart A Break” featuring Bert McCracken was the fourth and final song that included a featured artist, and it was a big let down. McCracken’s vocals, while not inherently bad, were not the right fit for this song in the slightest. His voice is much lighter than Lovato’s, and it made the song comparable to one you would hear on a Disney show — an era she has long grown out of.
It is baffling that Lovato chose “Don’t Forget - Rock Version” to end off the album, as this song certainly does not belong on this track list. With the exception of “Skyscraper - Rock Version,” every song on “REVAMPED” had an up-beat melody to it. “Don’t Forget - Rock Version,” however, brought the mood down and ended the album off on a sad note.
Other than a short 30-second bass and guitar bridge more than halfway through the song, “Don’t Forget - Rock Version” is a static, boring and emotional song that should have never been turned into a rock version. Lovato sounds close to tears in her vocals at the end of the song, and it did not fit the vibe of the album.
Overall, “REVAMPED” has its ups and downs. The album starts off strong with at least four heavy rock-like songs that are perfect to jam out to. However, the second half is a disappointment, as it seems the elements of rock got lost along the way. Hopefully Lovato continues to expand her discography within the rock genre, as her vocal abilities do fit perfectly within it.
