Heart Attack

"Heart Attack" is the lead single from Demi Lovato's fourth studio album, Demi. The song debuted on Jessica's Top 40 upon its release in March 2013 and slowly climbed up the chart; the release of Demi and my unexpected positive reception to the album helped "Heart Attack" become Demi's first JT40 #1 hit.

Would you have expected that a singer who got her start as a cast member on Barney & Friends and dated Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers would have one of my favorite albums of 2013?

Demi Lovato, a former child star who with Selena Gomez got her first taste of the spotlight on Barney & Friends, became a Disney Channel star and transitioned to a successful pop music career, went a long way to earn that distinction for me. When Demi's star began to shine as a Disney Channel star thanks to her roles on Camp Rock and Sonny With A Chance, in addition to two albums, I was reluctant to give her a chance due to my dislike of the current crop of Disney superstars led by Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. However, it was when she hit the low end of fame when I began to take notice of her.

In late 2010, Demi was touring with the Jonas Brothers when she abruptly dropped out due to a nervous breakdown that culminated with her punching a backup dancer. She entered a rehab facility to receive treatment for "physical and emotional issues" shortly thereafter, and after completing her treatment, she openly discussed her personal struggles in an effort to be a positive role model for teenage girls. Taking notice of those efforts led me to give her music a chance upon the release of "Skyscraper", the lead single from her third studio album Unbroken, with its emotions owed to how she dealt with her difficulties. "Skyscraper", which received universal acclaim and was an instant seller on iTunes upon its release, peaked at #2 on JT40, briefly interrupting Adele's long-running monopoly in the top 2.

In 2012, Demi's recovery showed strongly as she began a stint judging the US version of The X Factor and had a sleeper radio hit with "Give Your Heart A Break". She followed things up big in 2013 - and exceeded my expectations.

Demi began her fourth album era with the release of its lead single "Heart Attack" in late February 2013, an electro-leaning pop song widely compared to Kelly Clarkson. The song was originally intended for electropop singer Nikki Williams, one of its co-writers, who broke through in 2013 with the single "Glowing"; Williams' lyrics were inspired by a relationship she was going through at the time, explaining in an interview with Idolator, "It's about me being really scared to fall in love again after being rejected, after feeling so fragile and vulnerable all the time — thinking, I don’t know if I can do this ever again!" After Williams' label rejected "Heart Attack", Demi decided to record it herself, but altered some lyrics and had a dubstep breakdown in Williams' version removed. She explained to MTV News that "Heart Attack" is about the risks associated with falling in love. "I think everyone comes to a point where they feel very vulnerable in falling in love and that's what I'm talking about."

"Heart Attack" was released February 24, 2013, but didn't make instant impact on JT40 because I initially disliked the song. After a few more listens I grew to like the song enough to chart and it debuted the week of March 10, behind debuts from Lita Ford and Girls Aloud. The following month, "Heart Attack" grew on me in a huge way, leading to more frequent listens and a jump into my chart's top 5.

But it was when the album, Demi, was released when things took off bigger than I expected.

Demi unexpectedly impressed me upon first listen, and I immediately considered it one of my favorite albums of the year. I didn't expect much because Demi's previous album Unbroken was inconsistent and too urban-oriented (in a 2013 interview, Demi said the urban direction of Unbroken was because she wanted to be like Rihanna), but the album's material was what I had been waiting a long time for in a top 40 climate I felt was dominated too much by electronic music - pure pop. It was a mix of fun pop and powerful ballads I felt was missing from a pop album in years.

"Heart Attack" was originally intended to peak at #2 behind Lita Ford's "Relentless". But due to the strength of the Demi album, "Heart Attack" became her first JT40 #1, reaching the summit the week of May 19. With that, Demi became the first artist who marked her chart debut in the 2010s to reach #1 in 2013, a year so far marked continued core JessieLou artist dominance; she also became the first artist associated with the Disney Channel to top the chart since Hilary Duff scored her biggest hit with "Come Clean" in 2004.

With a strong album helping her earn a strong JT40 chart-topper, Demi Lovato established herself as one to watch on my chart in 2013 and beyond.