EXCLUSIVE: Demi Lovato opens up about her new album 'Dancing with the Devil... The Art of Starting Over'
“I feel like this is my introduction to the world"
Jordan Lee caught up with superstar Demi Lovato to chat about her long-awaited seventh album ‘Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over’.
The follow up to 2017’s ‘Tell Me You Love Me’ documents the singer’s journey to overcome some of her darkest moments, including her battle with addiction and the road to recovery.
The former Disney star said, “I feel like this is my introduction to the world. I’ve been in front of the world for years now, but I feel like I’ve never had my finger on the pulse of who I am as an artist as well as I have on this album.”
She added, “When I used to release albums before, I would be tired of it by the time the album came out. Even if I only had an album with 12 songs on it, I would listen to those 12 songs for over the year or year and a half that I made the album so I could completely immerse myself in the sounds.
“This is the first album that I wasn’t sick of by the time it came out. For me, the numbers don’t matter that much. It is a really good body of work and I’m proud of it. The reason I made this album is the messages that I convey.”
Demi returned to music in 2020 after a break following a near-fatal overdose in the summer of 2018. She performed an emotional rendition of her comeback single ‘Anyone’, which is featured on the forthcoming album, on stage at last year’s Grammy Awards ceremony.
A four-part docuseries of the same name has recently been released on YouTube to accompany the album, showing Demi and her friends and family candidly talk about the star’s struggles.
Demi said she hoped the album would answer some of her fans’ questions.
She said, “I put a lot of who I am on the album. If you have questions about my sexuality, go listen ‘The Kind of Lover I Am’. If you have questions about my recovery, go and listen to ‘California Sober’. I can direct people to a song on my album if they are curious about different aspects of my life. I’ve never really been able to do that with songs before. I’m happy and relieved and I’m excited.”
However, the singer insisted that there is a happy ending to the album with song ‘Good Place’.
She added, “I had written ‘Good Place’ months ago. As we were putting the track listing together for the album, I just really wanted to end the album on the best note possible. I felt that ‘Good Place’ was that. It’s the grand finale of how well I’m doing.”
The 19-track record also includes collaborations with the likes of Saweetie, pop sensation Ariana Grande and Miley’s sister Noah Cyrus.
Demi has been consistently open about her mental health and she commented on her experience of the past year and how she has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said, “This last year was really difficult for a lot of people. Anybody that has experienced 2020 has some level of PTSD. That was something I had a really hard time explaining to people before 2020, when they asked what it was like to live with depression or anxiety. I guess now everyone has some level of trauma and that’s not a good thing, but at least it helped a lot of people to have more compassion for strangers they didn’t know.
“There is this term called ‘snowflake’ for super sensitive millennials. I haven’t heard that term in a year because I guess everyone dealt with something that was triggering or hard to go through last year. It opened my eyes a lot and I think it opened up other people’s eyes too.”
'Dancing with the Devil... The Art of Starting Over' is out now.
Check out some of Ariana Grande's biggest collaborations:
'The Way' - Mac Miller
Although Ariana worked with her late ex-boyfriend Mac Miller on a number of hit songs, their track 'The Way' in 2013 really stuck with fans when it featured on her debut album 'Yours Truly'. After Mac's tragic passing in September 2018, Ariana paid a touching tribute to her ex on her track 'thank u, next', writing the lyrics: 'Wish I could say, "Thank you" to Malcolm / 'Cause he was an angel'.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Bang Bang' - Jessie J and Nicki Minaj
Released in 2014 as the third single from Ariana's second album 'My Everything', the singer teamed up with American rapper Nicki Minaj and British singer Jessie J. The hit debuted at Number 1 in the UK charts and the trio performed it live at both the MTV Video Music Awards and the American Music Awards in 2014.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Problem' - Iggy Azalea
2014 was a big year for collabs for Ari! She also teamed up with Australian rapper Iggy Azalea on the hit single 'Problem'. The pair were originally due to team up together for Ariana's debut album in 2013, but things didn't work out, leading them to create this banger one year later.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Love Me Harder' - The Weeknd
Another collab from Ariana's album 'My Everything', this time with Canadian singer The Weeknd. The collab came about with Ariana and The Weeknd both being signed to Republic Records, with executive vice president Charlie Walk stating at the time the track was used as a strategy to promote The Weeknd as an artist. Whatever it was created for, it's still an absolute banger!
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Break Free' - ZEDD
Released in 2014 as the second single from her album 'My Everything', Ariana teamed up with Russian-German music producer Zedd for the track 'Break Free'. The single has since been certified 2x Platinum.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Side To Side' - Nicki Minaj
After teaming up in 2015 for 'Bang Bang', Ariana once again worked with American rapper Nicki Minaj for the hit 'Side To Side' in 2016. The track was included on Ariana's third album 'Dangerous Woman', with the duo performing it live for the first time at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Good As Hell' - Lizzo
When Lizzo re-released her single 'Good As Hell' in 2018, the singer asked Ariana to feature on a remix of the track, and the rest is history!
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Don't Call Me Angel' - Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Ray
Ariana enlisted the help of her friends Miley Cyrus AND Lana Del Ray in 2019, to release 'Don't Call Me Angel' as the lead single from the soundtrack to the film Charlie's Angels. The single, with three Queens, instantly became a massive hit, reaching Number 1 in a number of countries across the world.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Boyfriend' - Social House
Ari teamed up with American duo Social House on her summer hit 'Boyfriend', which hit Number 4 in the UK Chart and has been certified Platinum. The music video sees the pop star at a house party that gets out of hand. After a fight breaks out, Ariana takes matters into her own hands and fires heart-shaped lasers from her chest! Running on just one hour's sleep, Ariana shot the music video in a 15-hour day - sharing behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot with fans.
Watch the video on YouTube.
'Stuck with U' - Justin Bieber
They've been friends for years and even have the same manager in Scooter Braun, so a Justin Bieber/Ariana Grande collab was always going to happen one day! Ariana teamed up with Biebs in 2020 to release a charity single called 'Stuck with U' in the middle of the global Coronavirus Pandemic. The single raised money for First Responders Children's Foundation, with the popular duo asking fans to upload videos of themselves for the official video.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Rain On Me' - Lady Gaga
Released on 22nd May 2020, Ariana Grande teamed up with Lady Gaga for the first time to produce 'Rain On Me'. The pair dubbed the song a 'monster dance hit' and fans were over the moon that these two pop legends eventually worked together on the track, which featured on Lady Gaga's 2020 album 'Chromatica'.
It's fair to say the song was an instant hit - bagging two MTV Awards AND the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2020.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
Collaborations on 'positions'
Ariana Grande released her sixth album 'positions' on 30th October without much warning at all. On the album are three collaborations: 'motive' feat. Doja Cat, 'off the table' feat. The Weeknd and 'safety net' feat. Ty Dolla $ign.
Listen to 'motive' on YouTube.
'34+35 (Remix)' - Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion
In 2021, Ariana joined forces with megastars Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion to gift us all with '34+35 (Remix)'. The song is, of course, a remix of her track '34+35' that features on her 2020 album 'positions'.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Met Him Last Night' - Demi Lovato ft. Ariana Grande
Ariana appeared on a track for Demi Lovato's seventh album, 'Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over'. The record was released in April 2021 to coincide with her YouTube documentary of the same name, following her recovery. Demi told us all about the process with Ariana: "She's beyond talented and a little genius. She's the one on her computer, vocal producing herself. That blows my mind. She sent a video over of the parts that she wanted me to do and she was showing me the parts on her computer screen."
Listen to the song on YouTube - 🚨 Explicit lyrics warning! 🚨
'Save Your Tears' remix - The Weeknd
Ariana took to her Instagram in April to share a short audio-clip teaser of her and The Weeknd harmonising on his track 'Save Your Tears'. Despite the video being blank, fans could hear Ari and The Weeknd singing the lyrics: 'I don't know why I run away'. The track was later released on 23rd April, along with an eye-catching animated music video.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'I Don't Do Drugs' - Doja Cat
In June, Ariana teamed up with Doja Cat for the second time and featured on the song 'I Don't Do Drugs' from Doja Cat's third studio album 'Planet Her'. The song isn't about drugs as such, but about the person who you know is no good for you, but you can't help but go back.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'Die for You' - The Weeknd
Ari teamed up with The Weeknd yet again, appearing on a remix of his track 'Die For You' in 2023. It was rumoured to be appearing on Ariana's seventh album, but she has put off recording while she works on Wicked.
Listen to the song on YouTube.
'yes, and ?' remix - Mariah Carey
In February 2024, a month after Ari dropped her comeback single 'yes, and ?', she delighted fans by joining forces with Mariah Carey on an epic remix of the song. With their complimenting vocals and Mariah's signature sound, it's fair to say she was an iconic addition to the song, with Ari writing to Mariah: 'thank you from the bottom of my heart for this dream come true and for sprinkling your brilliance and magic on my little song'. (sic)
Listen to the song on YouTube
Now read:
Everything you need to know about Demi Lovato
Ariana Grande's rise to fame from school plays to hit single 'Boyfriend'