On her 2008 debut album, Don't Forget, Demi collaborated with long-time friends and tour mates the Jonas Brothers, while Here We Go Again finds her branching out as a writer with such bold-faced names as John Mayer, "Torn" songwriter Anne Preven, and singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin. She also writes again with Nick Jonas on the soulful, searching "Stop the World." Demi notes, "When I was younger, my influences were R&B;, like Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, and even Billie Holiday.   More currently, my inspirations were John Mayer and Kelly Clarkson, so I wanted to combine the two, and hopefully we did that with this record. Of course, I was so excited to work with John Mayer."Demi, who has written nearly 300 songs in her young life, was beyond thrilled to co-write with the Grammy winner on her second album. The pair worked up two songs in the studio, collaborating on words and music, with the winning, thoughtful ballad "World of Chances" landing on Here We Go Again, and a second tune saved for later. Likewise, she was excited to write "Every Time I Lie" and "Falling Over Me" with singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin, admitting to being "totally star struck, but trying to act cool."In addition to garnering fans among her musical peers, the press are also Lovato enthusiasts, the Boston Herald raving: "besides her pop-ready look, feisty dynamic and prowess on the guitar and piano, Lovato has a versatile voice that alternates between smoky tones and endearing cuteness." Yet Lovato, who wouldn't mind attending a music school like Berklee to study classical music and improve her guitar chops, is hard on herself admitting she's a perfectionist: "If the song isn't coming out right, I'll stop it." That said, Here we Go Again was written and recorded in three weeks with producer John Field (Rooney, Switchfoot, Jonas Brothers) who encouraged Demi to write songs like the spare, breathy "Catch Me," written in a rare quiet moment at home on guitar.Looking to gain a different perspective on live performance, Demi repeatedly watched a Bruce Springsteen concert DVD. "Watching that DVD really helped," she admits. "Instead of worrying about what you look like, or if you hit the notes, it's understanding that people come to your concert to have fun with you and to experience your music with them. You're getting the opportunity to connect with every person all at once. Now I don't beat myself up if I hit a wrong chord on my guitar."