On November 1, 2010, Demi's publicist announced the Disney star had entered a treatment facility for "physical and emotional issues," which was subsequently reported to include an eating disorder and self-cutting. Her first single since her stint in treatment finds the singer/actress finding strength in the wake of a fading relationship and it symbolizes her resilience in the face of her personal issues. In a Seventeen magazine blog post, she wrote, "This song is so special to me because it's inspired by my journey and the struggles that I've dealt with this past year. I hope people are able to relate to it and realize that they are able to rise above and overcome any obstacle, no matter the circumstances, and shine like a skyscraper. I am still on a personal journey dealing with my own issues each and every day, but the best advice I can give to anyone going through a rough patch is to never be afraid to ask for help."
The song premiered July 12, 2011 on Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show and was released on July 14, 2011.
Demi recorded two versions of the song - one in 2010 when she was battling her issues and the other after she left treatment. She told E! News, "It just didn't feel the same, so we kept the original one. For me it was ... so symbolic, it being the song I recorded before treatment and yet it was providing a message. It's so crazy the way things played out, that it ended up being my symbol and it represented what I'm trying to spread the word about: getting help and rising above any issues that [I and] my fans are dealing with."
The empowering ballad was produced and co-penned by Toby Gad, whose other credits include Beyoncé's "
If I Were a Boy," Fergie's "
Big Girls Don't Cry" and Selena Gomez & the Scenes's "
A Year Without Rain." The other co-writers were Lindy Robbins who also co-penned Demi's hit single, "
Here We Go Again" and Estonian singer-songwriter Kerli. It was originally penned for the latter's sophomore album.
The
Mark Pellington-directed video took 12 hours to shoot and features a distressed Lovato alone in a desert, emoting to the camera as she sings as a reference to her stint in rehab. "That video was an emotional release for me, like therapy…I kept crying, I was so emotionally invested... That's when I realized, that's what music videos are all about," she told Ryan Seacrest.
Demi, who is of part Mexican descent (as well as part Irish and Italian), also recorded a Spanish language version of the song titled "Rascacielo," which is the Spanish word for skyscraper.
Demi admitted on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon that she doesn't actually speak a word of Spanish. When the singer performed the song at the American Latino Media Arts Awards she decided to sing it in "Spanglish," as she just couldn't memorize the lyrics in full Spanish. Even then Demi was forced to use additional help, as she revealed: "While I'm like gliding through fog in a tight red dress, I'm reading a teleprompter, trying to look graceful, praying to God I don't fall."
So, why did Demi chose to lead Unbroken with this ballad when most of the other tracks are more upbeat? She explained to the Associated Press: "I had to release it because I wanted to talk about the issues and the journey that I've been on, and I didn't want to just like come out with a dance song right off the bat, and people are like, "Wait. What? I thought she was just in rehab and then this happened and now she's coming out with a dance song?" It didn't make sense. So I wanted to have a song that explained it, and was emotional enough."
The song returned the UK singles in September 2013, reaching its highest chart position to date of #7. The renewed interest in the track was as a result of it being played during an audition sequence on an episode of The X Factor, then being performed the following week by Hannah Sheares in her Wembley Arena live audition.
A cover version by 2013
X Factor winner Sam Bailey topped the UK charts in the week after she won the competition.
