"Here We Go Again" is a song recorded by American singer Demi Lovato. It was written by Isaac Hasson,

Lindy Robbins Lindy Robbins is an American songwriter from Los Angeles, whose songs include Demi Lovato's " Skyscraper", Jason Derulo's "Want to Want Me", David Guetta's " Dangerous" featuring Sam Martin, MKTO's "Classic", Hot Chelle Rae's " Tonight, Toni ...

and Mher Filian and produced by

SuperSpy A superspy is a glamorous, important spy, especially seen in spy fiction Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intr ...

, for Lovato's second studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

on June 23, 2009, through Hollywood Records. The song was the only single from ''Here We Go Again'' released in North America. "Here We Go Again" is a

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and c ...

song with guitar lines and pop hooks and the lyrics speak of the protagonist's on-off relationship with a hesitant boyfriend. The song received positive reviews from critics, who praised its pop hook and made comparisons to works of

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

. "Here We Go Again" peaked at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became Lovato's first top 40 hit on the chart as a solo artist. The song was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2014. It also peaked at number 38 in New Zealand and in the lower region of the Canadian Hot 100.

Background

Lovato released her debut studio album, ''

Don't Forget ''Don't Forget'' is the debut studio album by American singer Demi Lovato. It was released on September 23, 2008, by Hollywood Records. She started working on the album in September 2007, while filming the Disney Channel original movie '' Ca ...

'', in September 2008. Shortly thereafter, in January 2009, she had already begun writing material for her sophomore effort. The recording sessions for the album began in January 2009, right after filming from the first season of ''

Sonny with a Chance ''Sonny with a Chance'' is an American teen sitcom created by Steve Marmel that aired on Disney Channel for two seasons between February 2009 and January 2011. The series centers on Sonny Munroe (portrayed by Demi Lovato), a teenage comedian ...

''. According to Lovato, the album's writing process was nearly finished in just two weeks. Unlike ''Don't Forget'', Lovato did not collaborate with the Jonas Brothers for her second album as she wanted to see what her sound would be like without their input. "Here We Go Again" was written by Isaac Hasson,

and Mher Filian, and produced by Hasson and Filian under the production name

. The duo also co-wrote and produced the album track "U Got Nothin' on Me". "Here We Go Again" was recorded at three different recording studios in California; SuperSpy Studios in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, Resonate Studios in Burbank, and The Jungle Room in

Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia * Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre *Glendale, Queensland, ...

. Additional recording took place at Safe House Studios in

Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. Co-writer Robbins contributed

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...

. Hasson provided programming, guitars and synths, and Filian handled programming and keys. The instruments were played by

Dorian Crozier Dorian may refer to: Ancient Greece * Dorians, one of the main ethnic divisions of ancient Greeks * Doric Greek, or Dorian, the dialect spoken by the Dorians Art and entertainment Films * ''Dorian'' (film), the Canadian title of the 2004 film ' ...

, who provided drums, and Kenny Johnson, who played the bass. The song was ultimately mixed by

Chris Lord-Alge Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic compression for molding mixes that play wel ...

. "Here We Go Again" premiered during Planet Premiere on Radio Disney on June 17, 2009, and was released as the lead single for the album of the same name via digital download on June 23, through Hollywood Records. It was later released in Australia and New Zealand on July 17, 2009.

Composition

"Here We Go Again" is an uptempo

song, with guitar lines and pop hooks. Critics made comparisons with works by

, particularly the song "

Since U Been Gone "Since U Been Gone" is a song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her second studio album, '' Breakaway'' (2004). The song, which was written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, was released as the lead sing ...

". According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Kobalt Music Publishing, "Here We Go Again" is written in the time signature of

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...

, with a moderately fast

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 142

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ...

. It is composed in the key of

F major F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor. The F major scale is: : F major is the ...

and Lovato's vocal range spans from the low note of F₃ to the high note of A₅. It has a basic sequence of F–Dm–Dm–Gm/B–F as its

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

. The song's lyrics chronicle the protagonist's on-off relationship with an indecisive boy as she sings that "Something about you is so addictive". Lovato explained: "So it's about, basically, being in a relationship where you break up and you make up, and you break up and it's like 'Here we go again, we just keep doing this over and over'."

Reception

Critical reception

"Here We Go Again" received generally positive reviews from music critics. ''

The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...

'' Ed Masley referred it to as "an explosion of pop hooks delivered with a winning blend of heartache and bravado". Kerri Mason of '' Billboard'' called the song a potential hit single and noted that Lovato "almost sounds like Kelly Clarkson's kid sister". Margaret Wappler of ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' compared it to Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and wrote that Lovato "tells a guy where to stick it over buff guitar lines". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

called the album "not quite as much fun" as ''Don't Forget'', "but still fun, particularly when Lovato tears into hooky power pop like 'Here We Go Again'." Erlewine also named it one of the best tracks on the album. ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' Althea Legaspi referred it to as "anthemic" and "catchy", while ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...

'' critic Joey Guerra described it was not as "immediate a grabber" as Lovato's previous singles.

Chart performance

In the United States, "Here We Go Again" debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 51 on July 11, 2009. After two weeks on the chart, it fell to number 66, before rising to number 24 the next week, in addition to being named the "greatest digital gainer". Coinciding with the release of the parent album, the song peaked at number 15 on August 8, 2009. The song became Lovato's highest-peaking solo single on the chart until " Skyscraper", peaked at number 10 in July 2011. The song has sold 880,000 digital copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In Canada, "Here We Go Again" debuted at number 86 on July 11, 2009, of the Canadian Hot 100. It fell off the following week, and re-entered on August 8, 2009, at number 61, which became its peak position. In New Zealand, the song entered and peaked at number 38, becoming Lovato's first entry on the chart.

Music video

"Here We Go Again" was directed by Brendan Malloy and Tim Wheeler, both who directed Lovato's previous video "

La La Land ''La La Land'' is a 2016 American romantic musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress, respectively, who meet and fall in love ...

". The music video was filmed on June 8, 2009, in Los Angeles, California. It premiered on June 26, 2009, on Disney Channel, following the premiere of ''

Princess Protection Program ''Princess Protection Program'' is a 2009 Disney Channel Original Movie, directed by Allison Liddi-Brown and starring Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez. The script was written by Annie DeYoung from a story by Annie DeYoung and David Morgasen. The fil ...

'' (which stars Lovato). The video begins with Lovato in her dressing room to prepare for her concert. Lovato is talking to her boyfriend (portrayed by Christopher Mason) over the phone. After hanging up, she rips up a photograph of the two of them together, implying he ended their relationship. He tries to call her back, but she ignores the call and heads to the stage. The boyfriend is shown visiting the concert and after Lovato finished the performance, she return to her dressing room. He meets her with a rose and they begin their relationship again.

Live performances

Lovato has performed "Here We Go Again" on several occasions. To promote the album, she appeared on ''

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, as part of NBC's ''Tonight Show'' franchise. O'Brien had previously hosted NBC's ''Late N ...

'' to perform the song on July 17, 2009. She performed it alongside the album cut "Catch Me" on '' Good Morning America'' on July 23, while performing "Here We Go Again" only on '' Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' and '' The View'' later the same day. The song was also performed during her Summer Tour 2009, where it was the closing song. In September 2011, Lovato performed the song during the revue concert An Evening with Demi Lovato as part of a medley with "

Get Back "Get Back" is a song recorded by the British rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, and written by Paul McCartney though credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to ...

" and "

". She later performed the same medley during the tour

A Special Night with Demi Lovato A Special Night with Demi Lovato was the second headlining concert tour and first world tour by American singer Demi Lovato, in support of her third studio album '' Unbroken'' (2011). Background Launched in November 2011, the first leg consiste ...

Track listing

*Digital download #"Here We Go Again" – 3:46 #"Here We Go Again (Jason Nevins Remix) – 6:34

Credits and personnel

Recording and management * Recorded at SuperSpy Studios , Resonate Studios , Safe House Studios and The Jungle Room * Mastered at Masterdisk * IRH Publishing (ASCAP); Hey Kiddo Music (ASCAP) administered by Kobalt Music Group, Ltd; Part Time Buddha Productions (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. Personnel * Demi Lovato –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

*Isaac Hasson –

songwriting A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

, guitars, programming, synths *

– songwriting,

background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

* Mher Filian – songwriting, programming, keys *

– drums,

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

*Kenny Johnson – bass *

– production, engineering *Simon Sampath-Kumar – engineering *Jason Coons – engineering *

– mixing *Dave McNair – mastering Credits adapted from ''Here We Go Again'' liner notes.'' Here We Go Again'' liner notes D Hollywood Records (2009).

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Here We Go Again (Song) 2009 singles Demi Lovato songs Songs written by Lindy Robbins American power pop songs Hollywood Records singles Songs written by Isaac Hasson 2009 songs Torch songs