Demetria Devonne Lovato (/ləˈvɑːtoʊ/ lə-VAH-toh; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television judge. She made her debut as a child actress on the children's television series Barney & Friends. She rose to prominence starring as Mitchie Torres in the Disney Channel musical television film Camp Rock (2008) and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010).

1992–2006: Early life and career beginnings

Lovato was born on August 20, 1992 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Dianna De La Garza (née Dianna Lee Smith) and engineer and musician Patrick Martin Lovato. She has an older sister named Dallas; a younger maternal half-sister, actress Madison De La Garza; and an older paternal half-sister named Amber, to whom she first spoke to when she was 20.

2011–2012: Unbroken and The X Factor

Lovato released her third studio album, Unbroken, on September 20, 2011.Begun in July 2010, the album experimented with R&B and featured less pop rock than her first two albums. Lyrically, Unbroken encompasses more mature themes as opposed to Lovato's previous work, with some songs focusing on Lovato's personal struggles. The album and its stylistic change received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Lovato's vocals and saw a growth in her musicianship due to the songs focusing on her struggles, but criticized the album's "party songs" and found the music to be more generic than her previous efforts. Unbroken debuted at number four in the US, selling 97,000 copies in its first week of release; it was later certified Gold.