Following Lovato's stint in treatment, it was announced that she'd be releasing all new material in the upcoming months. After a couple of weeks and heavy anticipation of new material, Lovato revealed that her upcoming single would be called "Skyscraper" and it'd be released in the upcoming weeks. The song was originally written by Toby Gad, Kerli and Lindy Robbins for Kerli's sophomore album. The single artwork was first revealed on various internet sites before Lovato herself could reveal it later that day via her Twitter account. At 12:03 AM, the "Skyscraper" video was posted on YouTube. Lovato first hinted at the track on April 8, 2010, tweeting "Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground.. like a skyscraper.."
Lovato said she first heard the song even before her treatment and "instantly gravitated towards it" adding that after recording it, she "just sat there and cried her eyes out". The singer initially wanted to re-record "Skyscraper" after finishing her medical treatment, but said "it didn’t have the same emotion. It didn’t have that same cry for help when I first recorded it." The song will be sent for mainstream airplay on July 26, 2011. A Spanish-language version of the song, called "Rascacielo" was recorded. The song was produced by Edgar Cortazar.
The song received positive reviews from music critics. Billboard said: "The ballad showcases the 18-year-old's quivering voice as she sings about "catching teardrops in my hands," but her strength allows to keep "rising from the ground, like a skyscraper." The singer eventually displays her powerful range as breathy backing vocals and heavy percussion fill in the spaces left by a lonely piano in the beginning of the track.". Idolator wrote "The piano and vocals that begin the track are mournful, fitting in with the somber vibe we predicted from this tune. But it all builds to a much stronger and more upbeat finish, sending a message to Lovato’s fans that she isn’t letting her recent struggles keep her down — or stop her from taking her career in a more mature, emotionally naked direction than we’ve seen yet from the Disney star."
About.com wrote "The song maintains a simple structure. It is a song of survival in the face of events that amount to efforts to "tear me down." However, the audio pictures painted by words like "You can break everything I am / Like I'm made of glass," coupled with Demi Lovato's bravura vocal performance turn this into something truly special. [...] The pop music field has been crowded lately with anthems about self-esteem. However, none has been as intimately personal as Demi Lovato sounds here. As she vocally swings for the fences following the bridge, Demi Lovato sounds as if she really does see herself as the towering survivor described in the words."
Upon the release of the song, many celebrities voiced their support on Twitter, including Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, Ashley Tisdale, Alexz Johnson, Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low, Travis Clark from We the Kings, Logan Henderson, Ariana Grand, Zendaya, Timbaland, Kim Kardashian, Abigail Breslin, Megan Park, Eva Longoria, Pete Wentz, Lucy Hale, The Veronicas, 78violet, Simon Curtis, Brittany Snow, Jordin Sparks, who provided background vocals for the song, and Kerli, who co-wrote the song. "Skyscraper" sold 176,000 downloads during its first week of release in the United States, debuting at number two on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart. These sales caused it to debut at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her second Top 10 single after "This is Me".
The music video was shot for twelve hours, which Lovato described as "both physically and mentally tough", saying she would break down and cry between cuts "because this song is so personal". The video premiered on E! News and on E! Online on Wednesday, July 13 at 7PM ET/PT and 11:30 PM ET/PT. A teaser of the music video was posted on Demi Lovato's official YouTube page on July 8, 2011. The video is directed by Mark Pellington.
The video consists of Lovato, in a white dress, singing the song while in the Bonneville Salt Flats. She emotes to the camera as she sings as a reference to her 2010 stint in rehab for self-mutilation and an eating disorder. Another significant visual in the video is a glass case containing a glass heart. The glass case is a shield, and is broken eventually, but the heart itself remains intact and unhurt. Lovato said in an interview with E! news that it is a symbol for when times are hard, she will never lose faith. Lovato's Charts for this song are U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (position 10) and Canada Hot 100 (position 18). Hope you can fell the song like i do.
