FEATURE:
Revisiting…
Demi Lovato – HOLY FVCK
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THERE are one or two…
other albums from last year I might include in Revisiting…, as a few got some good reviews but not the sort of acclaim and consideration they deserved. I think that Demi Lovato’s HOLY FVCK is one of the best from last year. A remarkable album that reached the top ten in the U.S. and U.K, it is one of their (Lovato uses ‘they’ and ‘she’ pronouns) best albums to date. Perhaps the most authentic and personal albums of their career, even though Lovato did not have a big hand writing the songs, they are very much at the heart. It is less Pop-leaning than previous Lovato albums. Maybe something that alienated some critics, but this musical evolution – a more Post-Punk/Rock vibe -, is a necessary one considering HOLY FVCK deals with a lot of anger. Lovato has said in interviews how, when they were working on the Disney Channel, they could not be tough or as honest and raw as they wanted. Lovato grew up a Christian, and religion and faith is explored in the lyrics and imagery of the album. Being Queer, Lovato has said how they have felt misunderstood. Not liking or feeling happy with previous albums, this does seem truer to Demi Lovato’s core and heart. I want to get to some positive reviews for HOLY FVCK. First, there are some reviews I want to explore. In one of the most fascinating interviews of their career, Lovato spoke with Alt Press about their redemptive return to Rock roots:
“IT'S NO SECRET: OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, the pop-punk resurgence has been in overdrive thanks to artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, WILLOW, Machine Gun Kelly and Juice WRLD, to name a few. If you’ve solely tuned into Lovato’s previous five LPs, it might be easy to write off their transition to rock as just joining a bandwagon — but you’d be wrong.
Perhaps in the years since you may have forgotten, but the release of their 2008 debut album Don’t Forget and the following year’s sophomore effort Here We Go Again were brimming with glam-rock flourishes and blistering guitar riffs. It happened to be when they felt most comfortable making music and performing live. Last fall, Lovato had the epiphany after seeing their friends, hard-rock trio Dead Sara, play a handful of concerts at The Roxy in Los Angeles and New York City venue The Bowery. “I feel like had I tried to do rock music a few years ago when I wasn't ready, it wouldn't have been authentic, but now it is,” they say confidently.
PHOTO CREDIT: Christelle de Castro
Those particular gigs — their infectious energy — reignited something inside of them, and they began immersing themself in rock music again. “I was listening to Veruca Salt, Hole and The Donnas — women that were just breaking the mold,” Lovato recalls. She also found herself diving back into the emo playlists that inspired them from the outset of their career — ones that had Flyleaf and Paramore on them. It’s part of what compelled them to make the transition. The latter is not too surprising since they famously covered Paramore multiple times at an Emo Nite in Los Angeles in 2017. “I'll always dream of collaborating with Hayley Williams and Paramore,” she gushes. “I don't know if they do a lot of collaborations, but I think that's something I’ll always dream of.”
As exciting as getting back to their roots has been, it’s also been a journey. Lovato’s life and career have been long and storied, full of dramatic highs and lows. At around 9 years old, Lovato landed their first acting gig on Barney & Friends, but it wasn’t until she starred as shy aspiring singer Mitchie Torres in Disney’s musical film Camp Rock, along with the Jonas Brothers, that her career really began to take off. That year, she’d release her debut album, and throughout the following six studio records, she’d transition through eras of dance-pop and R&B-tinged pop. “I thought that's what people wanted from me,” they confess.
But Lovato was also battling their own demons: mental health issues, an eating disorder and addiction. Over the years, they’ve been in and out of treatment facilities for their struggles, sharing their journey to sobriety.
Following six years without using, Lovato relapsed in June 2018. One month later, they had a near-fatal opioid overdose, where they suffered a heart attack, multiple strokes and brain damage. Last year, Lovato not only released their seventh studio album, Dancing With The Devil... The Art of Starting Over, but a documentary — her third — alongside it, detailing the events that led to the overdose and her road to recovery. She also revealed that they were raped at 15 while working on a project for the Disney Channel.
There’s been much healing since, and what’s followed has been a beautiful journey of self-discovery: Lovato is pansexual and gender fluid, using she/they pronouns (right now they’re “leaning more feminine”).
PHOTO CREDIT: Christelle de Castro
“The most important thing for me is that I'm a very fluid person, with sexuality and with gender identity, so not being married to anything in those regards is really important to me,” they explain. “It's very important that I stay true to who I am in the present moment. That's going to change; it'll fluctuate.”
One of the songs that already has the internet talking is one that Lovato herself has yet to discuss — “29” — a wistful track about consent. They hesitate to delve into specifics, but the track is one of the most affecting on the record. “When I turned 29, it really put a lot of things in perspective for me, and I just think [consent is] a really important conversation to have. You get into situations that may not be the healthiest. It's not something that should ever happen. Looking back, I now know I could never do this again, and I don't know why it did happen,” they say perplexed. But the track is also about more than that. It represents not only the age Lovato was when recording the track, but “the age when I learned that I can take control and own my future,” she adds. In short, it’s been healing.
PHOTO CREDIT: Christelle de Castro
That power — that control — is something they’ve also found by leaning into her own sexual energy. Among the heavier topics on Lovato’s latest album, there are a plethora of moments where Lovato is reveling in the joy of pleasure — oftentimes with religious undertones. The album’s title track, for instance, is Lovato’s fun wordplay on “I'm a holy f***.” The bouncy, sultry “HEAVEN” happens to be centered on a Bible verse about masturbation. Indeed “CITY OF ANGELS” packs a sweet punch as Lovato muses about the thrill of christening the hotspots of Los Angeles. “I want to see Beverly on my knees/I want you to make me scream at The Roxy,” they howl.
While the album, she admits, starts off as angry, Lovato ends with a power ballad, specifically a love song. That happy ending they were looking for? On “4 EVER 4 ME,” which begins with an intro that channels the delicateness of Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris,” they seem like they might have finally found it. “I'm not the type of person that makes love songs, really. I don't know that my last album had any love songs. It's always been like breakups, sadness and I haven't been angry,” they note”.
The word ‘authentic’ is one that keeps coming up in interviews and reviews. I feel, for Pop artists in the mainstream labels and audiences expect Pop to be more commercial and maybe quite heteronormative. There is greater acceptance and openness now, but I still feel artists are limited or directed too much. You can feel freedom, liberation and a genuine sense of release and control on HOLY FVCK. Lovato spoke with Vogue about regaining power and making an album on their terms:
“Of course, Lovato’s quest for authenticity is not just specific to this record release. Recently, Lovato has spoken candidly about her struggles with mental health and overcoming addiction, while last year, Lovato also shared she is non-binary, and now uses she/they pronouns. HOLY FVCK, then, felt like a continuation of her new mission to live life truthfully. “What I learned about myself making this record is that it’s okay to own your truth,” Lovato says. “I wanted to take my power back.” In the process, she’s produced a fiery album filled with passion, thoughtful reflection and a dash of good ol’ fashioned rage.
Below, Lovato talks with Vogue exclusively about the process of writing the new album, feeling like herself more than ever – and, of course, what she’ll be wearing on her upcoming tour.
I want to start out by saying I listened to the album this morning, and it totally hyped me up on my commute to work.
PHOTO CREDIT: Angelo Kritikos
Thank you so much! That’s the goal.
Tell me about when you started thinking about making this album, and how it evolved to be what it is now.
I have some friends in the band called Dead Sara. They released an album last year, and it reignited this flame inside of me. I was like, “I want to do rock music.” I saw them on tour and was super stoked about their music and was just like, “That’s what I want to go back to.” It felt right to me because I hadn’t done it in a while. I wanted to return to my roots.
What was the first track you started with?
I have a song called “Dead Friends,” and that was the first song I wrote and recorded for the album. It was a slower song, but I ended up turning it into a faster one. I wanted to pay homage to the friends that I missed, while keeping it upbeat and a feel-good homage to them.
PHOTO CREDIT: Angelo Kritikos
Were you a big rock aficionado growing up?
I started getting into rock music when I was about 12. What transitioned me into that was the emo and scene days. I was raised in Texas, so I was around a lot of [country music]. My mum listened to R&B, Motown and pop, so I listened to that growing up too. But whenever I was able to choose my own music, I started listening to emo scene bands, and then I got into hardcore music and some metal. That’s when I ended up making my first album, when I was 15.
When you look back on that more pop-focused era, do you see it as a time when you were not being authentically yourself? Are you still proud of that work?
I’m proud of that work, but it didn’t make me happy. There was always this kind of emptiness that I felt, because I was trying to be someone that I wasn’t. Now, I identify as non-binary, so when I say, “Would you like me better if I was still her,” it’s also a reference to people wanting me to stay who they wanted me to be in their eyes.
Would you say this album is your most authentic to date, then?
Definitely”.
It is worth highlighting reviews that I feel really understood HOLY FVCK and Demi Lovato’s brilliance. There were some mixed reviews, but there was love to be found for one of the underrated albums of 2022. Released on 19th August, it was such an important release for the New Mexico-born artist. This is what AllMusic said in their review:
“Holy Fvck is an absolute blast. True to the title, the most natural response to this stylistic pivot from erstwhile pop star Demi Lovato is one of shock and pleasant surprise. After years of headlines threatened to overshadow their musical output, it might be easy for detractors to be cynical about Lovato riding the pop-punk resurgence of the early 2020s. But Holy Fvck is so much more than trend-chasing: it manages to sound more authentic than anything they've done to date. Pissed off and throwing care to the wind, Lovato fully embraces this rebirth through jagged riffs and sticky leather, tackling gossip, trauma, mortality, and addiction with a snarl and a fist. Addressing critics and detractors, Lovato declares, "I came from the trauma/Stayed for the drama" on the lurching Flyleaf-esque opener "Freak" with fellow punk revivalist Yungblud. That "f*ck it" attitude pummels listeners on cuts like the raunchy "City of Angels," a quotable ode to reckless sex that channels Avril Lavigne-style pop-punk, and "Skin of My Teeth," an open confessional of their struggles with rehab and addiction that slaps together Celebrity Skin-era Hole, a shiny pop chorus, and a robotic Lady Gaga-stylized vocal bridge.
That unflinching honesty abounds from start to finish, both in the form of frustrated kiss-offs (like the metalcore-meets-Muse attack of "Eat Me" with Royal & the Serpent) and raw reflection, with death looming over tracks such as the reflective "Happy Ending," which recounts their 2018 overdose, and "Dead Friends," which laments those who succumbed to their addictions. The most attention-grabbing moment arrives on "29," a scathing takedown of a past relationship with eye-popping lyrics like "Too young to drink wine/Just five years a bleeder." While much has been made about a "return to form" in the vein of early albums Don't Forget (2008) and Here We Go Again (2009), Holy Fvck rockets way beyond those relatively innocent pop-rock teen moments. "Heaven" stomps and pogos with glam scuzz bounce, while the turbulent "Bones" and Halestorm-sized "Help Me" propel the latter half of the album with driving rock sleaze courtesy of Los Angeles trio Dead Sara. For fans in search of less raucous material, Lovato pushes their vocals to the rafters with soaring midtempo power rock ballads such as "Wasted," "Come Together," "Feed," and "4 Ever 4 Me," rousing singalongs that could easily fit on a Kelly Clarkson or P!nk album. In the face of doubt and criticism, Lovato nails this drastic image shift. Whether it's a genuine transformation or just a brief exercise for the pop chameleon, the triumphant Holy Fvck is a refreshing change of pace and an utter thrill to experience for those willing to look past the headlines into the heart of an artist who continues to grow in the public eye”.
The Line of Best Fit awarded HOLY FVCK eight out of ten when they reviewed the album. This is an album where Demi Lovato can truly be themselves. The Line of Best Fit highlight the darkness, raunchiness and passion that comes through on every track. It is such a compelling list:
“Drawing influence from noughties pop-punk and '80s and '90s hard rock and metal in equal measure, HOLY FVCK is Lovato’s darkest and dirtiest LP to date. “Get your tickets to the freak show, baby” she challenges on opener “Freak”, and across the following 47 minutes, she offers up a plethora of guttural screams, blasphemous declarations and electrifying guitar riffs - all while deconstructing her public image and her own sense of self.
“Be more predictable / Be less political”, Lovato sings on the hair-raising highlight “Eat Me”, parroting the words of her critics. Her retort to those critics is incisive and unsparing, “Dinner’s served, it’s on the floor / I can’t spoon-feed you anymore / You’ll have to eat me as I am.” On “29”, her anger is directed towards an ex - seemingly a call-out of Wilmer Valderrama, who dated Lovato when he was 29 and she was just 17. “Just five years a bleeder… Numbers told you not to, but that didn’t stop you”, she cries in the opening verse, bringing into stark relief her innocence at the time, and the inherently predatory nature of their relationship.
As suggested by the album cover, HOLY FVCK is an album preoccupied with sex - both as a means of repression and liberation, but also just as a healthy source of joy after a near-death experience resulting from the pursuit of pleasure. “I’m a holy fuck”, Lovato declares on the title-track, while begging a lover to “let me jump your bones” on “Bones”. The Matthew 5:30-referencing “Heaven”, meanwhile, is a bold ode to masturbation - a well-earned rejection of the toxic purity culture Lovato's purity ring-wearing generation of Disney stars were forced to uphold.
For all of HOLY FVCK’s mosh pit ready arrangements, at its heart is a striking tenderness. It’s a dynamic that recalls Hole’s masterwork Live Through This and one that offers a welcome contrast to the cocky, headstrong and deeply unlikeable music of so many of pop-punk’s most successful male stars in 2022. “Asking why doesn’t make it easier / Go easier on me”, Lovato sings during a striking moment of vulnerability on “Skin of My Teeth”. “I miss my vices”, she admits on the concerning “Happy Ending”.
Whereas Lovato spent much of 2021’s Dancing With The Devil… The Art of Starting Over trying to reassure the rest of the world she had healed, HOLY FVCK recognises and embraces the non-linear nature of recovery. The LP offers one of the most compelling and honest explorations of addiction in recent musical memory - it’s filled with grizzly, visceral declarations that underscore the stakes at hand. Lovato admits to being “crawling” with demons “tearing me to shreds” on “Happy Ending”, while she offers one stunning, disarming line on “Substance”: “Don’t wanna end up in a casket, head full of maggots / Body full of jack shit”.
Lead single “Skin of My Teeth” is HOLY FVCK’s centrepiece - demonstrating the album’s biggest selling points, as well as the elements it’s likely to draw the most criticism for. It’s unrelentingly intense and unmistakably autobiographical, the mixing is blown out and the song shows Lovato to be unafraid of wearing her influences on her sleeve (the song’s first verse bears a striking resemblance to Hole’s “Celebrity Skin”).
Admittedly, HOLY FVCK could probably do with a few more moments of restraint - where the tension is given longer to build before being released. “Heaven” is testament to this, with tantilising whispered cries of “Cut it off” a la Ethel Cain’s “Ptolemaea” slowly rising in volume before giving way to a killer chorus. However, HOLY FVCK isn’t an album about holding onto trauma, it’s one about releasing it - and doing so in rip-roaring fashion. In this way, it instantly joins the pantheon of great rock albums centred around exorcising trauma”.
One of the truly underrated albums of last year, I am going to use a feature or two more to look back on albums that might have done well commercially, but the critical reviews were not on the same page. HOLY FVCK is a terrific album that will speak to existing Demi Lovato fans and convert new ones. I was a fan of their Pop oeuvre, but I think that HOLY FVCK is the strongest effort yet. It will be exciting seeing what 2023 holds in store. After a tough and challenging last four or five years, I am glad that Lovato is rebuilding and looking ahead. HOLY FVCK is an album that, once heard, is hard…
TO forget.