Album cover screenshot by K. Reyes 4/2/2021
Bibliographic Information:
- Album Title: Dancing with the Devil...the Art of Starting Over
- Artist Name: Demetria Devonne Lovato (Demi Lovato)
- Release Date: April 2, 2021
- Produced by: Island Records, a division of UMG Recording
- Running time: 57minutes
Genre / Format of the Title:
Awards or Honors:
Interest Level:
- Lyric Poetry; Pop, Rock Ballad [music recording]
Awards or Honors:
- none yet as it just released today April 2, 2021
Interest Level:
- This album has a parental advisory label rating of E for Explicit lyrics. Common Sense Media ranks the docuseries that accompanies this album as appropriate for 14 and up with trigger warnings on near fatal drug overdose.
Artist Background:
Demi Lovato was born Demetria Devonne Lovato in August 1992 in Albuquerque, NM to a country singer and former Dallas Cheerleader mom, and an artist father. Her parents were divorced when she was two and she was not in contact with her father thereafter. Her father apparently had mental health issues. Lovato also has her own mental health issues, revealing that she has bipolar disorder currently managed through medications, and psychological trauma from getting raped at 15 by an older co-star (A&E Networks Television, 2021).
Album summary:
This album chronicles her most recent struggle with drug addiction as well as an even more recent break up with her fiancé. Lovato states in an interview that the songs in this album are really written for herself as they are reflective of her painful experiences and her personal growth (Bucksbaum, 2021). An article by Krochmai provided more insight into 11 songs in Lovato’s album revealing the provenance and inspiration for each (Krochmai, 2021).
Demi Lovato was born Demetria Devonne Lovato in August 1992 in Albuquerque, NM to a country singer and former Dallas Cheerleader mom, and an artist father. Her parents were divorced when she was two and she was not in contact with her father thereafter. Her father apparently had mental health issues. Lovato also has her own mental health issues, revealing that she has bipolar disorder currently managed through medications, and psychological trauma from getting raped at 15 by an older co-star (A&E Networks Television, 2021).
Album summary:
This album chronicles her most recent struggle with drug addiction as well as an even more recent break up with her fiancé. Lovato states in an interview that the songs in this album are really written for herself as they are reflective of her painful experiences and her personal growth (Bucksbaum, 2021). An article by Krochmai provided more insight into 11 songs in Lovato’s album revealing the provenance and inspiration for each (Krochmai, 2021).
Critical Evaluation:
According to Spotify (2021), 31.3 million people listen to Lovato. I will now add myself to the millions who are enamored by her voice. If the Indigo Girls and Simon and Garfunkel had a love child, it would be Lovato. This is the first musical album I’ve listened to in over a decade and I’m surprised at how powerful Lovato’s voice is and how deeply affecting the lyrics are of her songs. My favorite in this album, The Way You Don’t Look at Me, reminds me of so many angst-ridden, heartbreak songs. Her voice croons dolefully about all the pain she endures as a bulimic (“...lost ten pounds in two weeks...told me I shouldn’t eat...locked in my fingers…) while the guitar plays, melancholic in the background.
Another favorite is a remake of an old song I know from my own teenage times, Mad World originally sung by Tears for Fears in 1982, 39 years ago! I’m sure most teens don’t know this but as a kid of the ‘80’s, I definitely have been hearing songs that sound strikingly similar and this is just one of them. Every song in this album will resonate with teens as they cover everything from heartbreak, addiction, mental health, to self-discovery and forgiveness. The album ends with Good Place, a perfect closure that speaks of hope and finding that place where she’s okay after a “whole lot of work...whole lot of grace.” Powerful.
According to Spotify (2021), 31.3 million people listen to Lovato. I will now add myself to the millions who are enamored by her voice. If the Indigo Girls and Simon and Garfunkel had a love child, it would be Lovato. This is the first musical album I’ve listened to in over a decade and I’m surprised at how powerful Lovato’s voice is and how deeply affecting the lyrics are of her songs. My favorite in this album, The Way You Don’t Look at Me, reminds me of so many angst-ridden, heartbreak songs. Her voice croons dolefully about all the pain she endures as a bulimic (“...lost ten pounds in two weeks...told me I shouldn’t eat...locked in my fingers…) while the guitar plays, melancholic in the background.
Another favorite is a remake of an old song I know from my own teenage times, Mad World originally sung by Tears for Fears in 1982, 39 years ago! I’m sure most teens don’t know this but as a kid of the ‘80’s, I definitely have been hearing songs that sound strikingly similar and this is just one of them. Every song in this album will resonate with teens as they cover everything from heartbreak, addiction, mental health, to self-discovery and forgiveness. The album ends with Good Place, a perfect closure that speaks of hope and finding that place where she’s okay after a “whole lot of work...whole lot of grace.” Powerful.
Speed Round Album Talk:
If you want to feel a myriad of emotions in one album, listen to Demi Lovato’s Dancing With the Devil...The Art of Starting Over and be transported down to the depths of depression, up to the heights of recovery, and everything in between. Be forewarned, her voice grips your heart and she might just make you feel something surprising again.
If you want to feel a myriad of emotions in one album, listen to Demi Lovato’s Dancing With the Devil...The Art of Starting Over and be transported down to the depths of depression, up to the heights of recovery, and everything in between. Be forewarned, her voice grips your heart and she might just make you feel something surprising again.
This picture links to my Spotify account where the album is located.
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The original Mad World by Tears for Fears in 1982 was remade by Lovato almost 40 years later and the lyrics still resonate!
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Creative Use for a Library Program:
The lyrics of Lovato’s songs inspire an honest review of the current state of our teens’ mental health during this pandemic. I would love to see a songwriting session and maybe have students put their writing to an actual recording. A more realistic activity, though, would be setting up around five different work stations each set up with a different album playing that evokes different emotions and have students rotate stations every ten minutes. During their ten minutes, they will write whatever they feel, think, and experience, and by the end of 50 minutes, they will have five potentially different writing pieces that could be polished into songs or poetry later on.
The lyrics of Lovato’s songs inspire an honest review of the current state of our teens’ mental health during this pandemic. I would love to see a songwriting session and maybe have students put their writing to an actual recording. A more realistic activity, though, would be setting up around five different work stations each set up with a different album playing that evokes different emotions and have students rotate stations every ten minutes. During their ten minutes, they will write whatever they feel, think, and experience, and by the end of 50 minutes, they will have five potentially different writing pieces that could be polished into songs or poetry later on.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
Some songs contain explicit lyrics (includes profanity, drug use). Parents can use the song ratings as their way to decide whether it’s appropriate for their children or not. I do not have any opportunity to play music in the library but if I did, I would not be allowed to play anything that has a Parental Advisory Label rating of E for Explicit content regardless of popularity.
Some songs contain explicit lyrics (includes profanity, drug use). Parents can use the song ratings as their way to decide whether it’s appropriate for their children or not. I do not have any opportunity to play music in the library but if I did, I would not be allowed to play anything that has a Parental Advisory Label rating of E for Explicit content regardless of popularity.
Reason for Inclusion:
I happened to open up my daughter’s Spotify account and found this album playing and I was surprised at how beautiful Lovato’s voice was and how much the songs made me think of the Indigo Girls and Simon and Garfunkel.
I happened to open up my daughter’s Spotify account and found this album playing and I was surprised at how beautiful Lovato’s voice was and how much the songs made me think of the Indigo Girls and Simon and Garfunkel.
REFERENCES
A&E Networks Television. (2021, February 18). Demi Lovato. Biography.com. https://www.biography.com/musician/demi-lovato.
Bucksbaum, S. (2021, March 31). Demi Lovato recreates her overdose in behind-the-scenes pics from Dancing With the Devil music video. EW.com. https://ew.com/music/demi-lovato-dancing-with-the-devil-music-video-photos/.
Krochmal, S. N. (2021, March 25). Demi Lovato breaks down 11 songs from Dancing With the Devil... The Art of Starting Over. EW.com. https://ew.com/music/demi-lovato-dancing-with-the-devil-the-art-of-starting-over-songs/.
Spotify. (2021, April 2). Demi Lovato. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/6S2OmqARrzebs0tKUEyXyp.
Bucksbaum, S. (2021, March 31). Demi Lovato recreates her overdose in behind-the-scenes pics from Dancing With the Devil music video. EW.com. https://ew.com/music/demi-lovato-dancing-with-the-devil-music-video-photos/.
Krochmal, S. N. (2021, March 25). Demi Lovato breaks down 11 songs from Dancing With the Devil... The Art of Starting Over. EW.com. https://ew.com/music/demi-lovato-dancing-with-the-devil-the-art-of-starting-over-songs/.
Spotify. (2021, April 2). Demi Lovato. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/6S2OmqARrzebs0tKUEyXyp.
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