showcases breathy, quivering and powerful vocals. In the first verse, Lovato is only accompanied by a lonely, pulsing piano as Lovato sings, "Skies are crying, I am watching catching teardrops in my hands/ Only silence, as it's ending, like we never had a chance". As the song progresses, the piano is accompanied by heavy percussion and breathy backing vocals. In the chorus, Lovato sings, "You can take everything I have/ You can break everything I am/ Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper/ Go on and try and tear me down/ I will be rising from the ground like a skyscraper". In the second verse, Lovato "begins to find more strength". The song has a simple musical structure. According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is set in common time with a metronome of 104 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of G major with Lovato's vocal range spanning from the low note of G3 to the high note of G5. Lyrically, the song represents staying strong and believing in yourself. According to Lovato, the song's lyrics symbolize her personal journey from where she used to be to "the happy healthy person she is today." The song deals with the difficulties Lovato had been through the past year and overcoming the obstacles she faced. With the song, Lovato hopes that "people are able to relate to it and realize that they are able to rise above and overcome any obstacle, no matter the circumstances and shine like a skyscraper". Critical reception Jason Lipshutz of Billboard spoke positively about the song, especially praising Lovato's powerful vocal range. Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly called the song "pretty inspiring," and he wrote that "Lovato’s raspy, crying-out vocal sounds gorgeous". Monica Herrera of Rolling Stone praised the song, describing it as a "tear-jerker ballad". Chart performance In the United States, "Skyscraper" debuted at its peak of number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. It sold 176,000 paid digital downloads during the first week of release, becoming Lovato's highest first-week sales, as well as the singer's highest-peaking single in the country since "This Is Me" which reached number nine in August 2008. It remained as Lovato's highest first-week sales of her career up until the release of Heart Attack" by Lovato in 2013. In Canada, "Skyscraper" debuted at number 18 on the