Mark Pellington directed the music video for "Skyscraper", which premiered on July 13, 2011; it features Lovato wearing a white dress on a desert road.

The song was included on the set lists of her concert tours starting with A Special Night with Demi Lovato (2011–2013).

"Skyscraper" sold 176,000 digital downloads in the first week of release in the United States, setting a sales record for Lovato.

It has sold over 1.6 million digital downloads in The United States and has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

[2] In an interview with Seventeen, Kõiv elaborated on the picture, stating, "The world was in ruins and in the middle of all the collapsed buildings was one skyscraper still standing tall.

"[2] Kõiv revealed that the song is also personal to her, stating, "I come from a very small place in Eastern Europe so my whole life has kind of been one big fight to live my dream against all odds.

[3] "[Lovato] [has] the range, the full emotional spectrum, incredible control… Vocally, she is the best thing Disney's had since Christina Aguilera."

[10] The same day, the song was made available for digital download on the iTunes Store in the United States, although originally planned to be released on July 14, 2011.

"[4] According to The Hollywood Reporter, other celebrities such as The Veronicas, Selena Gomez, Lucy Hale, Kim Kardashian, Jordin Sparks, Ashley Tisdale and Pete Wentz, among others also contributed to the praise.

[16] Jordin Sparks, who provided backing vocals on the track, posted a video of herself singing the song on her website.

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".

While reviewing Unbroken, many critics described "Skyscraper" as the most emotional and vulnerable track on the record, including Rolling Stone's Monica Herrera,[21] Sputnikmusic's Raul Stanciu,[22] and AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

[23] Herrera described the ballad as "tear-jerker",[21] while Stanciu complimented its sincerity, and wrote that it "easily strikes a chord with any listener".

[22] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard praised Lovato's powerful vocal range on the track, and described it as "somber".

[25] PopCrush reviewer Jessica Sager received the song positively and said that it was Lovato's breakout hit, "with good reason".

[30][31] At the end of 2019, the staff of the former named "Skyscraper" as one of the 100 songs that defined the 2010s decade, and Lipshutz affirmed that it transformed Lovato into "a respected adult pop voice and prolific hitmaker".

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.

[37] On August 7, 2011, "Skyscraper" debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at number ninety-two, and it reached its peak of forty-five the following week.

It sold 11,460 copies, marking Lovato's highest charting song in the UK at the time and the singer's third top forty entry there.

When I'm unraveling this black fabric...It was the toxicity took over my mind for so long, that oozed out of every pore that I had because I was suffering inside...I'm taking it off and walking on broken glass and powering through it.The music video was directed by Mark Pellington.

[3] The shoot, which took twelve hours, was "both physically and mentally tough" for Lovato; the singer would "break down and cry" between takes because of the song being so personal to her.

[3] Due to the lack of people involved, Lovato felt that it was "pretty easy to get to that emotional place" that was needed for the song.

"[6] The video represents Lovato's personal struggles in the past years, including her former eating disorder and cutting and how she overcame them.

[44] The video begins with Lovato walking towards the camera on a desert road in Bonneville Salt Flats while wearing a long white dress.

"[46] Melina Newman of HitFix said that "no one else appears in the Mark Pellington-directed clip as the focus is clearly on showing the pain [Lovato has] gone through and from which she is rising, not like the proverbial phoenix, but like a skyscraper."

[58] In 2020, the singer performed "Skyscraper" at the special iHeart Living Room Concert for America in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual release has faced its ups and downs over the past decade, with any number of Facebook campaigns, novelty singles and festive anthems attempting to thwart its victory.

While diehard fans of Demi Lovato's original will argue that there's clear emotion attached to her version, there's no doubt Sam's 'working mum to popstar' transformation that we've been witness to over the past few months adds her own endearing perspective to the cover.

And with a freshly-signed record deal being handed in at Sony HQ this morning, it's a journey we are more than intrigued to see play out over the next 12 months.

"[94] On December 18, 2013, the song entered ahead of "Happy" by Pharrell Williams at number one on the Official Chart Update in the UK.