Demi Lovato’s Table Turning ‘HOLY FVCK” Out Now On All Platforms
Demi Lovato’s wisdom has never met its match, and their highly-anticipated 8th studio album, HOLY FVCK has only heightened their notion of authenticity. Released on August 19th, the Grammy-nominated, global, genre-defying superstar combined their aptitude of resilient defiance with peerless confidence to produce a collection of exploration and self-awareness. Having 7 Top 5 Billboard studio albums in their belt, Demi’s brilliance was determined to surpass their previous golden emblems–and did so with an aggressive embrace.
Beyond their trademarking as musician, actor, advocate, and New York Time’s Best-Selling Author, Demi is steadfast in their perception of humanity. Whether it was their irrepressible ballad “Skyscraper” or their unwavering queer anthem “Cool For The Summer,” Demi respired with their environment and censored intricacies. Repurposing their pop-punk bloodline in a magnetizing intimate analysis, is the declarative, tongue-in-cheek exploration, HOLY FVCK.
Featuring previously released tracks, “29,” “SKIN OF MY TEETH,” and “SUBSTANCE,” this record takes you on a receptive journey that is grounded in an amalgam of grunge centered pop-punk. “When making HOLY FVCK,” they said, “I wanted to explore the dichotomy between ideas and feelings we all face: good & bad, holy & evil, and anger & love. The album is a deeply personal journey that begins with pain and anger and concludes with me reclaiming my power. It gave me the freedom to express myself in ways I didn’t know were possible and find joy I’d been missing when making music. It’s cathartic and grounded, yet exhilarating and a hell of a good time. I don’t know where I’ll be in life in a year, or in five or 10 years – but what I do know is that this record is exactly where I am now, and I am damn proud of it. I hope everyone who listens is too.”
In an accented rebellion of biblically referenced, diaristic confessions, the record is reminiscent of the anecdotal tones of Black Sabbath. HOLY FVCK, is sporadically sensible and is introduced with the unapologetic exposition, “FREAK.” With tastes of 2010 Demi, their drawn out reverb is displayed with a carnival-esque attitude. Following their infatuating projection is a fuzz flowing collection of instrumentals that bleed with aggression but clot with dignity. Displaying a mantra of untethered confidence, Demi writes, “this song is about feeling like you don’t belong but owning it anyway.” In a complete arrangement of Demi’s vocal range, their emotional vulnerability is highlighted by their ability to embed intensity into their voice and control.
“SKIN OF MY TEETH” and “SUBSTANCE” are a working force of revelation and frustration–where one cores a battle with addiction and its partner illustrates a tethered intoxication towards the digital age. In a first person recount, “SKIN OF MY TEETH” dismantles the stigma of addiction and Demi so effortlessly emerges with the truth. In an effort to humanize and classify addiction as a disease, Demi pours her soul into every line. “I’m your son and I’m your daughter/I’m your mother, I’m your father/I’m just a product of the problem,” is a clever sentiment in which she underlines the versatility of addiction. It becomes confessional as her voice enhances a separate sphere of experience, presenting a bona fide statement of inclusivity. They write, “it is making a statement about how I am just like everyone who suffers from addiction. We’re all the same.”
“SUBSTANCE” is a broad anthem of delusions in the digital age, dissecting an addiction to a fast-paced, all-consuming world. Unlike the first two tracks, “SUBSTANCE” is a soft release of frustration that is moved throughout every note, pluck, and moment of silence. It’s an opportunity for Demi to play with the idea of removing themself from the narrative while still extracting experience from their consciousness. Demi shared, “I wanted to make a point about how we live in a world where nothing feels real anymore,” while adding their own perspective coupled with endless yearning for a distant past. It is philosophically concise yet easily digestible–it is Demi in their most authentic form of intelligence.
Keeping us on our toes, the next track “EAT ME” omits a forceful vibration that could be mimicked during a live performance. In a demonized depiction of their new found comfortability in their identity, “EAT ME” exudes with an eerie revelation. It’s slightly dissonant, which highlights the confusion with coming to terms with who you are and who you want to be known as. Demi revealed, “coming out as non-binary was a way for me to let people know that I am not the person that everyone wants me to be,” which is mirrored in their self-assertive lyricism. Although serious in undertones, its ad-libbed with an undisputed rage that is silenced with a metaphorical sigh of relief.
The title track, “HOLY FVCK” is the interlude that flips the narrative and trajectory of the records composition, which is then pin-pointed in the following track, “29.” The certified anthem for inappropriate relations with those underaged is equally heartbreaking and persevering. With bellows that could shake the earth, Demi wears their heart of their sleeve with a fist popping out the other side. It pulls tears through our ducts yet invites a standing ovation for those who have endured a similar experience. “Writing this song allowed me to express my thoughts in a way that I hadn’t before, and it turned into something special,” they said, simultaneously reflecting on the past and coming to terms with how to cope and allow yourself to feel angry.
HOLY FVCK ascends its gentility as “HAPPY ENDING” enters the spotlight. In their beautiful recount of preparing for the end, this track becomes charmingly real and exceptionally profound. Their voice climbs at the thought of finding fulfillment and drops at the fear of never finding a happiness that brings warm security. As they deconstruct the feelings brought upon nearing the end, their mind becomes flooded with the idea of eternal disappointment, a feeling everyone at one point has felt. It’s cathartic and tangibly real, putting forth the notion that Demi still battles with the demons they were once running from.
As their recollection uncoils, the ironically titled “HEAVEN” leverages religious trauma buried deep within their Texas childhood church and in turn is a track about taking that power back, in all forms. In a blueprint of sexuality, this track discusses forms of alleviation that are considered sins to the close-minded. “It’s actually about masturbation,” they revealed. “I wanted to write a song that takes back my power and my sexuality from the way religion was used against me,” and although covering topics that are often kept in the bottom shelf of expression, “HEAVEN” is beautifully poetic and powerfully ironic– with an added touch and a much needed middle finger to the man as they include a well known bible verse.
The tale-end of this record unveils Demi in a dominant, influential, bad-a** version of themself. Divorcing from the trauma upheaval from the beginning of the record, Demi combines the good with the bad to create effortless realism enclosed in a sour spunk of gripping anarchy. With the open-ended interpretative “COME TOGETHER” that roars with friendship and the beauty of a unified sexual relationship and the warm recollection of addiction that is masked by the intoxication of love on “WASTED,” their turmoil finds its long-awaited jubilance in “4 EVER 4 ME.”
“4 EVER 4 ME” is Demi finding peace in their retrospective. Amid their tumultuously exhausting travels through life, “4 EVER 4 ME” is Demi’s exposé–a piece of clarity, a moment of tranquility. This track is an examination of the record itself, which in turn becomes a backward-looking journey through their life, the bridges burned and towers built. In angelic tones, Demi prevails, clutching the tears stuck in the back of their throat. With an intense build of starkly coated guitars subdued by effervescent strings, Demi’s whispers are broken by a ballad of release. It’s thought-provoking, emotion-evoking, a statement to the world that they are here and they are going no where–and for that, they deserve our most sincere round of applause.
HOLY FVCK is Demi’s magnum opus. With stories that are built to break and buried to blossom, Demi has gifted the world with a novel-stricken piece of surrealism. Never knowing which angel was being taken, it keeps you on your toes but at the same time allows you to sit and reflect on yourself as well as their own ramifications. Demi Lovato’s profound lyricism and hard-core grunge coated instrumentals will be on tour in a city near you starting September 22 in Wheatland, CA at Hard Rock Live. For more information check out the dates below, and until then, stream HOLY FVCK on any and all listening platforms.
HOLY FVCK TOUR NORTH AMERICA DATES:
Thu Sep 22 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live Sacramento *
Fri Sep 23 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort and Casino *
Sun Sep 25 – Portland, OR – Theater of the Clouds *
Tue Sep 27 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic * \
Wed Sep 28 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube Theater ^
Fri Sep 30 – Las Vegas, NV – The Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas ^
Mon Oct 03 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium ^
Wed Oct 05 – Rosemont, IL – Rosemont Theatre ^
Fri Oct 07 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre Detroit ^
Sun Oct 09 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre ^
Mon Oct 10 – Washington, DC – The Anthem ^
Wed Oct 12 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia ^
Thu Oct 13 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway ^
Sat Oct 15 – Toronto, ON – History ^
Sun Oct 16 – Montreal, QC – L’Olympia ^
Tue Oct 18 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre ^
Fri Oct 21 – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre *
Sun Oct 23 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy *
Tue Oct 25 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium *
Fri Oct 28 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino *
Sun Oct 30 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Event Center *
Tue Nov 01 – New Orleans, LA – Fillmore New Orleans *
Thu Nov 03 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall *
Sun Nov 06 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory *
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