Sophia Michaels
Demi Lovato has been on a difficult and very public journey on her path to sobriety for the last ten years. It became clear that at the age of 17, she was already struggling with some very real addiction issues in addition to coping with mental health issues, eating disorders, and self-harm. Now, at the age of 27, she’s finding new strength and courage to continue to fight for her life and health so she can keep doing what she loves.
Demi Lovato’s struggle with addiction
Lovato’s story is similar to many who struggle with addiction, though rarely do they have to struggle under the public eye. There are lies, risky behaviors, and a disregard for the future that becomes incredibly self-destructive.
Lovato candidly admitted in interviews that she knew how to lie and manipulate to hide her addictions so she could continue to use, but everyone has their breaking point.
Lovato had her first stint in rehab in 2010 at the age of 18 after attacking one of her backup dancers on tour. Though she went through rehab and moved on to a sober living facility, Lovato admitted later that she continued to struggle with cocaine and alcohol use and wasn’t officially sober until 2013.
In a 2016 interview with Glamour magazine, Lovato recounted how different she felt now that she was sober compared to her life in 2010 saying: “I feel healthy, I feel happy. Back then I felt an emptiness inside of me, and I reached for so many things—a person, a substance, a behavior—to fill that void. And now there’s not a void anymore. The void is filled by me taking care of myself.… Getting sober was difficult.”
Why did Demi Lovato disappear from the music scene??
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vORIohoI4m0?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
Lovato was busy throughout her career and recorded a solo album every year or two starting in 2008. The last of her six albums were released in 2017 and we’ve not heard any new music since her single “Sober” dropped in 2018.
Fans and the media took this song to be a confession of a relapse, and indeed they were correct. While singing “Sober” at the California Mid-State Fair she forgot the lyrics to the song, and just two days later she was rushed to the ER for an apparent overdose. This was a sad day for Lovato fans and friends, as she had just announced 6 years sober a few months before.
In the year following Lovato’s overdose, not much was heard from the young artist as she focused on herself and her recovery. During that period, she began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and spent time with close friends and family.
She had her first public interview a year after her overdose at the Teen Vogue Summit in November of 2019. In her interview, she asserted, “I’m so tired of pretending that I’m not human,” and discussed her sobriety as well as her views on body acceptance.
In the interview, she also hinted at new music soon to come, something she had already alluded to earlier social media posts.
Is Demi Lovato releasing some new music?
On December 4, 2019, Demi posted an all-black image on her Instagram with the caption: “The next time you hear from me, I’ll be singing…” Fans and friends responded in excitement with a barrage of support and love.
She hasn’t posted on her own feed since, but she did pop up on tattoo artist Alessandro Capozzi’s feed on Christmas Eve. In the post, we see a gorgeous tattoo on Demi’s back showing a woman with dark wings being carried to the sky by three birds.
Media sources speculated that the tattoo may have been inspired by her recent breakup with model Austin Wilson. However, the post simply states that it symbolizes the rebirth of her spirit and makes no mention of the short-lived boyfriend.
Though, she still has not formally announced when the long-awaited new music will drop. If she’s keeping quiet until it does, we can only hope it will be soon.
Written by: CheatSheet
