Confident (Demi Lovato song)

Recording and release

Lovato co-wrote "Confident" with Ilya Salmanzadeh and the song's producers Max Martin and Savan Kotecha. The song was recorded in two studios: MXM Studios, Los Angeles in United States and Wolf Cousins Studios, Stockholm in Sweden. Sam Holland engineered the song, Serban Ghenea handled the mixing of the song. Ilya Salmanzadeh performed guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion among with of Max Martin, the musician Rickard Göransson also performed the percussion, Savan Kotecha also contributed with the background vocals with Salmanzadeh and Oscar Holter. The horn arrangement was provided by musician Jonas Thander who also performed the saxophone, the trombone was played by Steffan Findin, while the trumpets was performed by Stefan Persson and Karl Olandersson. Other personnel included Peter Carlsson who performed the live drums.

Prior to official release, "Confident" leaked online on August 24, 2015. On August 27, 2015, Lovato revealed the cover, title, release date and tracklist of her fifth studio album Confident on Twitter. Following the announcement of the album's release, Lovato stated the title track was "really the best way to represent me today", adding that "I feel very secure in who I am as an artist and a person. That's what I'm trying to portray." Lovato told MTV that the song influenced in the choice of album's title: "It definitely was kind of a no-brainer when we called it Confident," She said, "also one of the songs on the album is called Confident.' Whenever I make an album and try to think of a name, I always look to the track list and what song represents this album the most. The song was officially released on September 18, 2015. as an instant gratification track to accompany digital pre-orders of the album. Lovato debuted "Confident" on Apple Music's Beats 1 during an interview with Pete Wentz.

Composition

Musically, "Confident" is a "drum-line driven" pop and pop rock song about empowerment and confidence. According to the music sheet publisher by Universal Music Publishing on the site Musicnotes.com, the song is composed in the key of E♭ minor in compound quadruple meter (12
8 time) with a tempo of 130 beats per minute and has a vocal range spanning from the low note E♭₃ to the high note B♭₅. The song features a drumbeat and Lovato asking "What's wrong with being confident?" along with finger snaps. Lovato sings in the second pre-chorus: "So you say I'm complicated / But you had me underrated", following of the chorus. Critics noted that the song beat is reminiscent of Marilyn Manson's Personal Jesus (1989;).

Critical reception

Digital Spy reviewed the song positively, saying that "The track is a strutting, brass-laden pop anthem, which hears her take full control." Music Times also reviewed the song positively, saying "'Confident' shows a sassy, sexy side of Lovato. With rounds of thunderous drums and honks of brass horns, 'Confident' is all new Demi, with no signs of heartbreak or struggle in sight." Nick Levine from the site NME wrote that the song "fuses hip-hop horns and Joan Jett beats and has her bragging “it’s all about me tonight”. Glenn Ganboa from Newsday in review for the album, said: "The title cut has the feel of a Britney Spears track musically -- perhaps producer Max Martin has something to do with that -- but its feminist lyrics take the song to the next level. Reviewing the album, Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club called the song a "saucy, self-centered track." The reviewer also commented positively about the song described it as a "galloping, horn-plastered title track.

Chart performance

"Confident" debuted at number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100 issued for October 8, 2015. After the release of the music video, the song re-entered on the chart at number 58 on the chart of October 31, 2015. In the next week, after Lovato's performance of the song with a melody with "Cool for the Summer" at the Saturday Night Live, Confident" climbed from the past position at number 58 to number 31— prompted by a 127% sales increase sold (48,000 downloads sold) and a 43% to a 4.3 million in U.S streams that week, winning Streaming Gainer honors. Following the Lovato's performance of the song at the 2015 American Music Awards on November 22, 2015, the song rose from number 36 to number 28, selling 50,000 copies with a 71% increase in sales. For the week ending December 19, 2015, "Confident" rose from the number 28 to number 21 on the chart. It has sold over 1 million units in the United States being certified as platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The song reached number 37 in the Canada. On March 10, 2015, "Confident" received the certification of platinum on the country for sales of 80,000 copies. In Australia, "Confident" debuted at number 35 on the Australian Singles Chart for the week ending November 1, 2015. The following week, it falling off the chart. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 65 on the UK Singles Chart. "Confident" initially entered the Irish Singles Chart at number 68 on the chart issued for October 22, 2015. The following week the song climbed seven positions and peaked number 61 on the country. Elsewhere, "Confident" attained peaks of number 27 in Scotland, number 23 in Slovakia, number 55 in the Netherlands. and number 27 in the New Zealand.

Background and development

The music video for "Confident" was released on October 9, 2015 through Lovato's Vevo channel. The video was directed by Robert Rodriguez. The video stars Lovato as well as Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Zane Holtz and Marko Zaror. It was shot at Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas. Lovato had asked Robert Rodriguez to direct the music video after meeting him through her role as Maia in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series. Speaking to MTV the director mentioned: "We have created our own method, our own way of making movies. So whenever I am going to do a project, and especially something I really care about, I have to do it here."

The director also explain that he imagined how the video could be when was listening the song: "When I got the music and I heard it, it was so epic and cinematic. It sounded so much like a movie score. It had so much energy, I had to call her and find out how she came up with it. She said that she wanted to put more of a rock influence into some of the songs in the album; that was totally up my alley." In behind the scenes, the actress Michelle Rodriguez said: "The song is so cool, I love the message behind it, about the girls believing in themselves." She also commented about her participation on the video: "What really call my attention was be banding of girls who was hating one each other and in another second joining forces." Robert also stated to MTV:

“I wanted it to look like a movie, not like a vamped up, over-the-top music video or a movie in a video, but actually something that looked like it was from a spy film. I felt it was this great culmination of movie, ideas and visuals all put together into this song created by Demi Lovato.”

Synopsis

The video starts with Lovato in a maximum security prison where she is granted a pardon for selling out Michelle Rodriguez's character by a U.S. Marshal. Lovato is sent to apprehend Rodriguez, but Lovato soon realizes that Rodriguez is a step ahead of her. As the police attempt to take Lovato back to prison, she fights back and attempts to stop Rodriguez. Rodriguez overpowers her and she is taken captive by the police in a prison bus. However, she knocks her captors unconscious, breaks free and jumps into Rodriguez's trailing car. A fistfight ensues before the pair realize they were both played (and branded) by the marshal. The two women team up and apprehend the marshal, who is later exposed by the police as a fraud and Lovato and Rodriguez bid farewell and leave on their motorcycles.

Live performances

Lovato first performed the single at a gay bar in New York City on October 15, 2015. To celebrate the release of her fifth album Confident, Lovato surprised her fans the next day with an acoustic performance of the title track in Times Square. On October 17, 2015, Lovato performed a "Cool for the Summer" and "Confident" medley on Saturday Night Live during the series' forty-first season. Lovato also performed the song on Good Morning America on October 29, 2015 and on The Tonight Show the following day. On November 6, 2015, she performed "Confident" on Idol. Furthermore, Lovato performed the song at the 2015 BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards on November 8, 2015. On November 14, 2015, "Confident" was a part of Lovato's setlist at the 2015 106.1 KISS FM Fall Ball. Lovato later performed the song at the 2015 American Music Awards on November 22, 2015 and included it in her setlist during the 2015 Jingle Ball Tour. As one of the headliners of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, she performed a medley of "Cool for the Summer" and "Confident" again in Times Square on December 31, 2015. On March 3, 2016, Lovato performed the song on American Idol with the top 8 contestants of the series' final season. Another rendition of the song was given on the second edition of the Victoria's Secret Swim Special, which aired on March 9, 2016. Lovato opened the 2016 edition of Wango Tango with a performance of "Confident" on May 14, 2016. She later performed the song on The Late Late Show with James Corden, during the Carpool Karaoke segment, which appeared online on May 16, 2016. On July 25, 2016, Lovato performed the song at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in support of Hillary Clinton. On September 6, 2016, the singer performed "Confident" and "Body Say" at the Made for History fashion fundraiser hosted by Anna Wintour for Clinton. "Confident" was included in Lovato's setlist for the Future Now Tour.

Usage in media

1. "Confident" – 3:25
2. "Confident" (The Alias Remix) – 5:08

1. "Confident" (The Alias Remix) – 5:08
2. "Confident" (VARA Remix) – 3:38
3. "Confident" (Gianni Kosta Remix) – 3:48
4. "Confident" (Volkoder Remix) – 5:17
5. "Confident" (DJ Lynnwood Remix) – 4:30

Credits and personnel

Recorded at MXM Studios, Los Angeles, United States and Wolf Cousins Studios, Stockholm, Sweden.

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Confident.

Certifications

Since May 9, 2013, RIAA certifications for digital singles include on-demand audio and/or video song streams in addition to downloads.