Demi Lovato: It's Not Really That Serious

      Demi Lovato has moved past her reputation as American pop's troubled prodigal diva. After years of making news for her rebellious antics as a former Disney star—such as having a punk-rock funeral for her pop-princess phase in 2022—she is changing her narrative this year. The last few months have brought significant and uplifting transformations for the 33-year-old star. In May, she wed singer-songwriter Jordan "Jutes" Lutes in a beautiful ceremony in Santa Barbara. In August, she performed a few songs from the 2008 hit musical film Camp Rock with her co-stars, the Jonas Brothers, during their concert at MetLife Stadium. In October, Lovato attended her first-ever fashion week in Paris, showcasing a sleek, sophisticated look while mingling with other celebrities at the Vivienne Westwood, Coperni, and Ann Demeulemeester shows.

      Her ninth studio album, humorously titled It's Not That Deep, released on October 24, debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and reached number one on the Top Dance Albums chart. Now three years into recovery from addiction, Lovato drew inspiration from EDM and nightlife to reclaim her right to enjoy herself. "The tone of this album is fun… Dare I say, cunty?" she enthusiastically shares in a studio in the San Fernando Valley, where we met before her rehearsal. She arrived in a black SUV wearing a cozy gray sweater, black leggings, and oversized sunglasses, taking a moment to greet every crew member on site. Behind her was the slate backdrop from her album cover, taken by Daniel Sachon, featuring Lovato posing with a dry-cleaning bag amid a chaotic scene of people and animals. "I'm standing strong in the midst of all this chaos, and it's no secret that my world is very chaotic, the very public life that I live," she clarifies.

      That Saturday night, she would perform her new music live for the first time at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, which that night transformed into Club Demi. Surrounded by enthusiastic fans in their 20s, many of whom grew up watching Lovato on television, the singer appeared like a commanding figure in a black lace bodysuit, moving with her backup dancers to the energetic electronic beats of her latest album. The opening track, "Fast," a passionate piece of biker-themed hyperpop romance, energized the crowd early on, but they were left awestruck by a surprise rendition of "This Is Me," the Camp Rock favorite she recorded as a teenager. These additions to her setlist felt like a significant departure from the dark, confessional ballads of her previous albums, like 2021's Dancing With the Devil… The Art of Starting Over and 2022's heavy guitar-driven Holy Fvck. This year, she is not just reviving her pop era but is honoring her entire journey, which began in her childhood. "I want to go back to pop. I love pop music," Lovato expresses. "It's not that I didn't enjoy performing Holy Fvck, because I absolutely did. But I noticed when I played my throwback songs, there was a unique connection with the audience that really stood out."

      "I used to write deeply personal, emotional songs based on what I had experienced," she continues. "With this album, I aimed to establish, right from the start, that we're going to have fun with this, and it's not that deep. It doesn't carry the same seriousness as the music I used to create."

      In keeping with the album's title, Lovato’s promotional efforts have playfully revisited some of her most humorous moments. This summer on the Just Trish podcast, she reminisced about a 2022 video where she joined ghost hunters in a haunted house and serenaded a supposed ghost. ("I was so stoned," she joked with host Trisha Paytas.) For Halloween, she dressed as the infamous character Poot Lovato—a viral meme based on an overly publicized photo of her on the red carpet—and even wore a bald cap for authenticity.

      Lovato's natural joy has always shone through in her vibrant voice and animated characters, yet her vivaciousness was often eclipsed by the weight of her trauma. Born Demetria Devonne Lovato in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she grew up in Dallas. She started acting and dancing at a young age and landed her first TV role in 2002 on Barney & Friends. She also sang in her local Baptist church choir, but the strict values often conflicted with her home life reality. Her mother, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, supported Lovato's rising acting career, but her late father, a musician and engineer, battled untreated mental illness and substance abuse, resulting in tension within the family. The clash between Lovato's public persona and personal struggles became more pronounced when she started appearing in various Disney shows at 15. It