Demi Lovato Restarts Her Journey In New Album, Dancing With The Devil... The Art of Starting Over (Review)
Demi Lovato released her highly anticipated 7th studio album, Dancing With The Devil… The Art of Starting Over on April 2nd. It marked her return to music after her Tell Me You Love Me album from 2017 and after suffering a near fatal overdose in 2018. This album goes hand in hand with her documentary. She says that this album is like the unofficial soundtrack of her documentary which details her journey from 2018 until now.
Thank you to our readers and Lovatics for being patient with this album review! I feel like I couldn’t write anything else without getting it out the way.
Before I start, I made a video about songs from Demi’s album that contain hidden messages. The majority of our subscribers don’t know every little thing that Demi has said throughout the years as opposed to our stan Twitter audience on here. Check it out if you’re interested:
Let’s begin!
Anyone
This song was released hours before Demi’s performance at the 2020 Grammys and it marked her official return to music. It was written right before her overdose to detail the helpless thoughts that she felt.
It is one of Demi’s most emotional tracks that showcases her vocal ability with minimum production. Hearing this song on the first listen definitely brought me to tears because it’s as if Demi picked you up from wherever you were when you heard this song, and transported you into her bubble of emotion. The emotion in this song is so heartbreaking to the point where it can bring anyone to tears.
It’s the perfect song to open up the album because of the story that the album gradually tells.
Anyone, please send me anyone
Lord, is there anyone?
Dancing With The Devil
I’m a sucker for storytelling in albums and that’s why I’m obsessed with how this album flows. From Anyone to DWTD, you live a story through Demi’s lyrics that gradually goes from I feel helpless and there’s no one listening to I’m dancing with the devil aka her doing drugs.
This song is one of the BEST in Demi’s discography. I’m obsessed with the production & instrumental of the song which played in the background of some episodes in the documentary. The lyrics are raw but still maintain that pop classic vibe while sounding true to Demi’s sound. The bridge is underrated and almost makes the song (most bridges aren’t done well and it actually hurts the song, this ain’t the case).
Ultimately a classic and Demi is off to an extremely strong start with this album.
Twisted reality, hopeless insanity
I told you I was okay, but I was lying
ICU (Madison’s Lullaby)
This song is about when Demi woke up in the hospital and couldn’t see her little sister, Madison. This song is very emotional and it continues the story of how Demi went from feeling helpless -> doing drugs -> in the hospital.
It’s a staple for her journey & storytelling but it’s a skip for me unless I’m in the mood.
Intro
I’ve always wanted Demi to have a spoken interlude in an album and this one is incredible because it references her journey in simple words. This marks the second theme of the album… The Art of Starting Over.
The Art Of Starting Over
I didn’t think I’d love this song as much as I do. This is the perfect song to drive in your car while on the highway and the sun is beaming. It’s such a feel-good song and Demi perfectly encapsulates her journey and how she’s excited to start over despite how many times she already did.
It’s a song about hope minus all the cliches.
Lonely People
Something about this song is nostalgic while also sounding completely new & fresh. I feel like the verses are the strength of this song and the lyrics are fun and a play on words. I love how Demi shows off her pop voice without belting too much throughout the song which is actually a common theme we see throughout this album.
As the verses transition into the chorus, I feel this immense power and energy in the song—it’s the type that rock songs execute when you’re about to hit the climax. I love it. It puts me in such a good mood.
Crying doesn't make you charming
Only thing I'm not is sorry
Dancing at a pity party
The Way You Don’t Look At Me
A STAPLE ON THE ALBUM. It’s such an interesting take and the lyrics are so raw & vulnerable it’s as if you’re experiencing this journey with Demi. I’m also obsessed with the fact that Demi left the belting at home for this song because this soft pop executes more emotion especially when it comes from a well known vocalist such as Demi.
Do I believe this song is about her ex, Wilmer Valderrama? 100%. I’ve spoken about the way Demi felt when she wasn’t at her “thinnest” with Wilmer & he made her know that. Read more here.
Demi says that this song is about, “that feeling you get when you're with someone and you know they're not paying attention to you. They're not watching you when you get out of the shower, their eyes aren't lingering on you when you walk by naked, and it sucks.”
It’s no secret that Demi struggled with her body throughout the years, but when she got with that homeless man Max… she made sure to emphasize that he loved her body exactly the way it is and in a way, it seemed like she was referencing past relationships in which she wasn’t appreciated in that way.
It was rumored back in the day that Wilmer would not be seen with Demi when she was not at her thinnest. They were barely photographed together in 2013, but when she lost a lot of weight from 2014-2016, they attended all events together and they were photographed EVERYWHERE. Now we know that Demi’s eating disorder was at an all time high throughout those years. I’m just saying, not everything is a coincidence.
So that’s my take (and my sources agree), but I’m interested in hearing your take.
“But I'm so scared if I undress that you won't love me after”
Melon Cake
I can’t get over how strong of a start this album was off to. This song is about her former team’s restrictive control & watermelon cake that they gave her every year on her birthday.
The lyrics tell a sad story while being catchy and upbeat which continues that theme of “starting over.” It’s a sad story but it’s presented in a way of relief and looking at the future as opposed to the past. If this isn’t a single, then it’s another miss for Demi.
In her documentary, she said that her former team probably did these things out of love, but they didn’t know that it would end up doing more harm than good.
You could find me starving for attention most days
Amongst others things, god help me.
Met Him Last Night (feat. Ariana Grande)
Everyone anticipated a collab between 2 of this generation’s highly respected vocalists. Was I scared of a collab being a belting match between these 2? Oh yes, but they washed my fear away with how incredible they blended their voices together on a song that doesn’t sound like a 2012 EDM reject (yeah I’m looking at you Rain On Me feat Gaga!).
I’m usually not the biggest fan of Ariana’s collabs or remixes because sometimes it feels like the voices don’t even blend but they’re collaborating for the aesthetic and exposure (I’m looking at you 34+35 remix) but this isn’t the case here.
Met Him Last Night is so catchy and fresh and there’s no belting competition (such as the one that ruined Fall In Line feat. Xtina). You can barely tell Ariana & Demi apart in this collab which is a testament to how flawless the song flowed. I’m a big fan of collabs in which the feature isn’t just ten seconds. Both Ariana and Demi make this song so incredible and I’ve never heard anything like it.
This collab is up there with Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa’s collab of Prisoner. I praised Prisoner for the same thing—it felt like a true collab and not just a 10 second feature for exposure.
What Other People Say (feat. Sam Fischer)
When this song first came out, I was obsessed. It’s catchy and relatable for sure. The production doesn’t overwhelm the song and it definitely gives me an Ed Sheeran vibe where the song would go viral & the general public would love it, but it wouldn’t be my cup of tea. I do really like Sam’s voice on this and he’s gained a new fan here. I’m excited about his future music.
With that being said, this song didn’t age as gracefully as most. She’s cute for sure! But definitely a skip.
Carefully
This song is so relaxing as Demi sings about her insecurities and tells people to handle her carefully if you know how to handle her. I love the theme of despite her problems, she can still be a good time which is another thing that most people can relate to.
I love how soft this song is and its production is almost delicate which is the theme of the song. Definitely one of my favorites on the album.
“my insecurities don’t take vacations” ooof
The Kind of Lover I Am
I like this song because it gives another “driving on the highway” vibe while Demi opens up about her sexuality and vulnerability.
It’s so catchy and fun. People were hating on the outro because it’s “cringy” because Demi says “I don’t care if you have a dick or a WAP, I just want to love” and I don’t find that cringy at all. I find it funny & it showcases Demi’s personality. Let artists express themselves without holding pitchforks to their creativity.
“with the passion of a one night stand, that’s the kind of lover I am” love this.
Easy (feat. Noah Cyrus)
I’m speechless from how good this song is. This is the song that people thought Demi & Sam Smith would deliver. Lyrically it’s beautiful and Demi & Noah’s voices flow together seamlessly. My favorite part is the violin in the chorus. Just gorgeous.
I’d love this to be a fall/winter single when everyone is in their bag.
15 Mintues
Finally Demi does some dragging! She came after that homeless man Max Ehrich that proposed to her after he successfully scammed her during quarantine (she’s a clown… truly).
I love the play-by-play on this song which says that you got your 15 minutes of fame, now you got 15 mintues to pack it tf up!
I also love when Demi says “I’m a headache but I’m working on it, it should be an honor that I even had the time to bother.” LOVE the dragging whether that’s about her or about Max.
The bridge is hilarious because it calls out Max staging crying photos on the beach where he proposed.
That was one for the books surely.
Prayin' in Malibu, prayin' in Malibu, I hope it saved you
Prayin' in Malibu, prayin' in Malibu, how could you, how could you?
Crying in Malibu
WHILE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR 15 MINUTES
My Girlfriends Are My Boyfriend (feat. Saweetie)
On the first listen, this song sounded like an absolute pop classic. I feel like this song would go #1 because it’s such a fun tune that emulates girl power, but not in the usual cliche way. I love Saweetie’s verse, she brings that modern 2021 tone and it’s a great addition to the song.
reservation made for 8 is way better than 2 plates after everything that I’ve been through
California Sober
This song talks about the state of Demi’s sobriety. To be ‘California Sober’ means that you abstain from all hard drugs except weed and occasionally drinking.
This song is necessary to her story and I like the message, lyrics, and production. Sometimes I skip this song, but it’s definitely not a miss on the album.
As for her decision to be California sober, I don’t agree with it but I’ve spoken to many of you who have struggled like Demi and you said that the only thing that’s worked for you is being California sober.
I was never an addict nor a medical professional so I don’t think it’s my place to comment on her decision. It is worrisome though and from my studies, weed has always been a gateway drug to the bigger & badder wolves. I guess in Demi’s case, she tasted the worst and it almost killed her so it’s understandable that she uses weed to cope. It’s very complicated and I’m actually interested to read medical journals about this concept or just using weed in general (the way it’s used for cancer patients).
I’m gonna talk about this more in a future post about Demi’s documentary, my thoughts, and more inside information.
Used to live in fear of always slipping
But living for perfection isn't living, I
I ran a little slower, now I'm tripping, I
A beautiful and magical beginning, I
Mad World (cover)
I love this song and I love Demi’s cover. This song actually fits perfectly on the album and I love Demi’s take on it.
Butterfly
On nearly every Demi album, you have to expect a song about her father. It’s interesting when you listen to her albums from the beginning until now because you can see her come to terms with the passing of her father and his treatment of her.
On Unbroken, For The Love of a Daughter is an emotional ballad about how her family was constantly fighting because of her father’s struggle with addiction and alcoholism.
She sings, “Please, father, put the bottle down, for the love of a daughter.” If you’re in the mood for a good cry, go listen to it.
On her self-titled album Demi, Shouldn’t Come Back is supposedly about the aftermath of when her father left. She’s trying to come to terms with how she feels abandoned by him and maybe he shouldn’t come back after all.
The song Father is on her Confident album and it comes after his death. She sings about how she prays for his peace and she hopes that heaven gives him a second chance.
On Tell Me You Love Me, she takes a lighthearted approach in Daddy Issues where she jokes about how her relationship troubles are a result of her estranged relationship with her dad.
And finally, on Dancing With The Devil, Butterfly paints a story that comes full circle. She sings about how she used to dread the month of June - which is when he passed away - and even though he was a troubled man, she sees him flying over her like a butterfly.
It’s amazing how Demi has painted a whole story about her relationship with her father through these albums.
Good Place
The album’s closing track comes full circle. As the album opens up with “is anyone listening?” It ends with “Now I’m in a good place.”
It’s tear jerking and wraps the whole story up. I’m also really fond of the song. Sometimes it’s forgetful but then I remember the chorus.
When I chose drugs over love
Money over trust, 'til I found us
When I chose lust over love
Danger over trust, 'til I found us
Now I'm in a good place
Took a while to feel this way
No longer have to save face
Reconciled with okay
Final Thoughts
I can confidently say that this album is career defining for Demi and one where she challenged herself artistically, in a way that she hasn’t in a very long time. I genuinely believe that this is her best body of work. I love how the album flows and how it tells a story.
A big thing to note on this album is the difference in Demi’s vocal technique. In the past, Demi used to belt way too much for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good belt, but sometimes, it’s just like WE GET IT… YOU CAN SING!! WE KNOW! On this album, her confidence in her voice shines through more than usual because it sounds like she no longer wants to prove that she can sing.
I’m rating this album on a variety of different factors: lyrics, story, production, and execution.
It makes me happy to say that she aced all factors. I don’t see myself getting tired of this album anytime soon. It’s almost like crack to my ears. I’m itching to hear the songs again.
9 out 10 stars.
What are your thoughts?
I hope you guys enjoyed my review! I’m excited to hear what you guys think about the album in the comment section below. Feel free to add any more insightful details. What do you think Demi did that was great this era? How do you think she can improve moving forward?
Comment down below your thoughts! You can comment anonymously. We will be reading and replying ;)