After four long years, Demi Lovato returned with her daring, ambitious studio album, Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over.
With all that the 28-year-old songbird has endured in the years that followed — from her troubles with addiction and self-esteem to her terrifying near-fatal overdose in 2018 and all the private misfortunes she's suffered in the public eye — the music of Lovato's seventh LP signals the start of a new beginning for the promising performer, who bares her whole heart across 19 new tracks on the project.
So, to celebrate just how far Lovato has come along on her harrowing road to recovery, we're sharing the most soul-baring lyrics from Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over:
"Dancing with the Devil"
"I was dancing with the devil, out of control / Almost made it to Heaven / It was closer than you know / Playing with the enemy, gambling with my soul."
"Thought I knew my limit, yeah / I thought that I could quit it, yeah / I thought that I could walk away easily / But here I am, falling down on my knees / Praying for better days to come and wash this pain away / Could you please forgive me? / Lord, I'm sorry for dancing with the devil."
"Intro"
"I asked if anyone could hear me / As I danced with the devil / And because of that I was blind / But now I see / Let me take you on a journey / One that sheds the skin of my past / And embodies the person I am today / This is the art of starting over."
"The Art of Starting Over"
"He was the cure, I was ready to be sure / So I let him deeper under the surface / But it didn't take long to realize / That the woman in me does not cry / For a man who is a boy and he does not deserve this"
"Lonely People"
“All that love is / Is a means to an end / I’m always finding/Broken hearts instead / The sad and scary truth is we all die alone / So you better love yourself before you go”
"Met Him Last Night" feat. Ariana Grande
"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"
"How could I ever believe him? / The one that could be so deceivin' / Boy, you were my only vice, I never feel this way / Won't hold me no hostage, I'm leavin' / Boy, you just gave me a reason / No, I never thought I'd be the one / No, I never thought I'd be the one to fall / Watch me bounce before I give you my all / So, I promise tonight is the last call"
"Carefully"
"I'm only human, I spent the last years runnin' / But since I met you, I ain't runnin' from nothing / Babe, you could be / Just exactly what I need"
"The Kind of Lover I Am"
"I might not believe in monogamy / The moment I fall, that's it for me / I get obsessed with no jealousy"
"Doesn't matter you're a woman or a man / That's the kind of lover I am (Or you could be anything in between) / You can safely put your heart in my hands / That's the kind of lover I am"
"15 Minutes"
"'Cause you were looking for fifteen minutes, yeah / And now you got fifteen minutes, yeah / Pack your stuff, you can come and get it, yeah / Ain’t goodbye but it's good riddance"
"Prayin’ in Malibu, prayin’ in Malibu, how could you, how could you? / Prayin' in Malibu, prayin’ in Malibu, I hope it saved you / Crying in Malibu"
"California Sober"
"I'm California sober / It doesn't have to mean the growin' part is over / No, it ain't black or white, it's all of the colors / That I only just discovered / Now I'm California sober"
"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"
"Trading judgment for freedom / Found somethin' new to believe in / Somethin' inside of me screaming / 'Don't be so hard on yourself' / Look up, somethin' has shifted / My heavy spirit is lifted / I found myself"
"Butterfly"
"Used to dread the month of June / 'Cause it reminded me of you / And always came around too soon, not anymore / A part of me I had to find / 'Cause it was killin' me inside / Yeah, you were always like a bye I wasn't ready for"
"Forgiveness is the hardest truth / It's something that you have to choose / Well, at least I got my heart from you, that much I'm grateful for / I know because you lie and taught me 'bout honesty, honesty / You leave and gave me my loyalty, loyalty / I'm growin' into who I'm meant to be, yeah / No more lookin' for a sign"
"Easy" feat. Noah Cyrus
"The hardest part of leaving is accepting all the reasons / That somehow we keep repeating endlessly / And the hardest part of leavin' is to hold the heavy breathing / Back, from showing you how hard it is for me / To make it look so easy"
"I hope you'll forgive me even though I'm not apologizing / I will try to do the same for you / I hope you'll forgive me for the nights that I've been fantasizing / Hoping that you're thinking 'bout me too"
"Melon Cake"
"And now I'm sayin' no more melon cakes on birthdays / No more barricades in doorways / Finally get to do things my way / You could find me starvin' for attention most days / Amongst other things, God help me / Finally get to do things my way"
"There was a time / I was pulled in all directions and forgot about mine / But I wouldn't wish / Those thoughts on my worst enemy, they make you wish you don't exist"
"What Other People Say" feat. Sam Fischer
“Thought when I grew up / I would be the same as the ones who gave me my last name / I would not give in, I would not partake / In the same old drugs everyone else takes / I’m better than that, I’m better than that”
"The Way You Don’t Look at Me"
“I’ve lost 10 pounds in two weeks / ’Cause I told me I shouldn’t eat / Gained a new vice way more than twice / I’ve slept on bathroom floors”
Photo: Dana Trippe