On April 2, Demi Lovato released her very memoir-type album following her famous heroin-fentanyl overdose in 2018. The album, “Dancing With the Devil,” reveals unheard details of her overdose, previous eating disorders, and her short-lived engagement to Max Ehrich. Divided into two parts, the “prelude” and “the art of starting over,” Lovato focuses the more painful songs at the top of the album, like “Anyone,” title track, “Dancing With the Devil,” and “ICU (Madison’s Lullabye),” leaving the more reflective songs in the second part.
Let’s take a deep dive into some of my favorite tracks off the album.
- Melon Cake
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I will admit, I had to Google what a melon cake was, because I couldn’t believe people actually eat them. Lovato admitted in her YouTube four-part documentary, that only recently did she actually enjoy a real birthday cake. After eight years of eating watermelon cakes to control her weight, she actually got to enjoy a real slice (or really three whole cakes)!
This song is an ode to giving up on the melon cakes and realizing she can enjoy the real thing without feeling guilty. In her documentary, she admits that she has a much healthier relationship with food and can actually eat what she wants without feeling guilty.
- Met Him Last Night (feat. Ariana Grande)
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This has got to be my favorite song on the album. With the fun synth part in the beginning and the honest lyrics, it’s a bop. The track was actually penned by Ariana Grande after hearing Lovato’s overdose story. Grande originally wrote with Lovato in mind, but Lovato campaigned for Grande to stay on the track as a featuring artist.
With lyrics like, “I’ve seen the devil, yeah, I met him last night / One conversation, now he’s spendin’ the night /I think I Iove him, though I know it ain’t right” show the grappling of addiction and how easy it is to pulled in again and again. Although it has a similar feel to “Dancing With the Devil” the song, it’s a much more fun and upbeat version.
- Easy (With Noah Cyrus)
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This song features Noah Cyrus and it deals with someone leaving a relationship and dealing with the pain that comes with leaving.
I was surprised about how much track time Cyrus has a on track, even singing the majority of the bridge and have more than just a single verse. Cyrus’ part of the bridge gets me every time, with powerful lyrics, like “I hope you’ll forgive me even though I’m not apologizing / I will try to do the same for you.” It definitely shows how hard it is for someone to leave a relationship, even if they are the one to initiate it.
Overall, this some of Demi’s best work. Her more profound lyrics are found in her most heartbreaking, self-reflective lyrics. If you haven’t listened to the album, you definitely should give it a spin.