Today on the blog, I’ll be reviewing Demi Lovato’s seventh studio album Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over, released on April 2, 2021. I can say Demi is such a great singer and you can’t just ignore her powerful voice even though this will be my first time listening to her album, so I’m quite excited for this review. This album was released alongside a Document Series by YouTube Originals ‘Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil‘, which is about the life and career of Demi Lovato, so this one must be very special to her also. Here is an excerpt of the series…
A look back at some of the most trying times in the singer’s life as she unearths her prior traumas; she opens up about what led to her near-fatal overdose in 2018, as well as her personal and musical journey over the past three years.
Anyone
It is a track that can give goosebumps really. Intro was just too sweet and Demi’s raw but insane vocals… what to say. It’s a sad song and you can just hear her voice. But not the kind of song I would listen to on repeat but it’s really great.
Dancing with the Devil
This is the title track of this album, which I personally love a lot. Lyrics and the mv say everything. I could say that it’s one of the songs that has the best lyrics.
Bridge:
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
Oh, yeah, yeah
ICU (Madison’s Lullabye)
This is a song you can call ‘meaningful’ and ‘full of true emotions’. It’s a must-listen. Demi said about the song, “Madison is my baby sister. When I woke up in the hospital after my overdose, I was legally blind and couldn’t see. So when she came to my bedside I actually asked her, ‘Who is standing there? Who are you?’ It was a really emotional moment for everyone who was there.”
Intro
It’s a 26 seconds audio clip by Demi, which is definitely a perfect intro…
Spoken words:
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
Okay, so when this song suddenly played after the intro when she said, “This is The Art of Starting Over“, the first time I realized that track listing can also give a powerful impact. Coming back to the song, I guess this is the song that marks the point when she started to recover and discover herself. I think it could be just a little better but I love the lyrics…
From Verse 1:
Give me a pen, I’m rewriting another ending
It didn’t turn out the way that I wanted
From Chorus:
New beginnings can be lonely
Thank God I got me to hold me
Lonely People
I didn’t like this song that much I’ve been liking the others I have listened to. But I found these lines quite funny like Romeo has no sequel Yes, we’re all lonely people, haha and the last lines are nice though…
It’s really scary
Truth is we all die alone
So you better love yourself before you go
The Way You Don’t Look At Me
It’s a beautiful guitar pop song, describing the feeling of being ignored. It’s also great to sing along and I just love it. Chorus is just so good…
‘Cause when you say nothing
It’s much worse than things I’ve overcome and
This hurts harder than my time in heaven
You don’t think I see
The way
You don’t look at me
Melon Cake
Demi said about the song that she used to eat melon cake on her birthday in place of an actual birthday cake which was a fat-free diet version of a birthday cake. She said, “The song is me saying goodbye to melon cake. That might seem insignificant to someone who hasn’t struggled with food issues, but for someone like me who has overcome that, I was stepping out of my comfort zone by eating actual birthday cake. It was a big step for me, and I wanted to celebrate it.” I like this song… just not a lot.
Met Him Last Night (feat. Ariana Grande)
You know what happens when two powerful singers unite!? Well, this song is not so Boom Boom kind of but very pleasant to ears. And what to say about their vocals, they just blast it! The lyrics- “I think I Iove him, though I know it ain’t right“, I think it describes the feeling when you’ve got an addiction to something and you’re loving it though you know that it isn’t right. This song is a must-listen!
What Other People Say (with Sam Fischer)
Lyrics are very special. This song shares about the anxiety of losing one’s individuality for the sake of well-being liked by others. My favorite part is the chorus, which says…
I used to call my mom every Sunday
So she knew her love wasn’t far away
But now I’m all fucked up out in LA
‘Cause I care more about what other people say
I used to not take chances with God’s name
But it’s been so long since I last prayed
And now I’m all fucked up and my heart’s changed
‘Cause I care more about what other people say
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
‘Cause I care more about what other people say
Carefully
“This is a song about wanting to be loved—but wanting it to be done carefully. It’s kind of self-explanatory, but it’s really about offering yourself up to somebody“, Demi explained. I like the lyrics but honestly, I didn’t like the song very much because of the background music I think, it’s a mid-tempo pop song, but not something I’d listen to on repeat.
The Kind Of Lover I Am
This one is kinda addictive. I felt the vibes of Taylor Swift’s songs. I’m really in love with this song. And you have to listen to it. My favorite part is the outro, which is sort of funny too…
You know, I’ve been really good on my own lately
Like I don’t need anybody or anything
I’m feeling good by myself
But if somebody comes along
And they just look at me the right way
And they tell the right joke
I don’t care if you’ve got a dick
I don’t care if you’ve got a WAP
I-I just want to love
You know what I’m saying
Like I just wanna fucking share my life with someone at some point
Right now I’m good though
I don’t need anybody I’m good
Easy (with Noah Cyrus)
You can say “woww” after listening to this song. It’s the first time I’m listening to Noah Cyrus and her voice is really…. as Demi said- She’s so brilliant! I’m gonna listen to more of her songs now. Their vocals sound amazing together. This song is a beautiful ballad and I love it! Lyrics are just so good…
Chorus:
The hardest part of leavin’ is acceptin’ all the reasons
That somehow we keep repeatin’ endlessly
And the hardest part of leavin’ is to hold the heavy breathin’
Back, from showin’ you how hard it is for me
To make it look so easy
15 Minutes
I didn’t like this one that much… it has just too many “15 minutes” in it. I don’t know…
My Girlfriends Are My Boyfriend (feat. Saweetie)
This song describes the power of female friendships. I don’t know if it’s too great to sing along but there are some lyrics that really caught my attention…
Verse 1:
I found the love of my life (I found the love of my life)
Wait, I mean the loves of my life (I mean the loves of my life)
My soulmates, my angels
My reasons I’m grateful
Don’t need a ring or a vow (Don’t need a ring or a vow)
I got my day ones around (I got my day ones around)
They’re perfect, they’re priceless
Forever like diamonds (Diamonds)
California Sober
It is a great song. I especially loved the beats and the background music. I also liked the way Demi explained the song- “I wrote this song to try and explain that sometimes recovery is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and in my case, it looks a little different than maybe other people’s journeys. But it’s working for me, and this song explains why. I hope people can listen to it from a place of curiosity and understanding and compassion. I hope they can try to respect my truth the same way I respect other people’s truths.“
Mad World
This one is actually a cover of the song Mad World by Tears for Fears, and I like both of the tracks- the original one and also, Demi’s cover. The original song has nice dancing beats but it’s actually a song about depression and anxiety. Demi’s cover is very soothing to ears and she has beautifully sung it, so I like the cover better but you know there can’t be any covers without the original one so I respect the song. My favorite lyrics are from the chorus, which says…
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles, it’s a very very
Mad world
Butterfly
It’s such a beautiful and emotional song, Demi wrote about her late father, who passed away in 2013. Demi said, “I wrote this song about my birth dad. I always had a complicated relationship with him, and I felt like it was in his death that we actually grew closest. I had more compassion and understanding for who he was, and came to understand why he couldn’t show up for me the way that I had always wanted him to. When a butterfly came right up to my finger on Father’s Day last year, around the anniversary of his passing, I knew I had to write a song about it. My favorite lyric is ‘You were never really graceful/Now you’re just what you’re supposed to be.’ It perfectly explains my dad’s transition from life to death. I feel like he became graceful and delicate in a way that he was never able to be on earth.“
Good Place
I personally like this song a lot and also the way Demi described it. She said, “This song best represents where I’m at today. It is the message I want to get across to anyone who’s ever struggled and can relate to my story. It’s an example of where you can be when you do the work on yourself. I hope people listen to this album and hear the struggles, but also come to a happy ending. Maybe this song can help them find the happy ending in their own journeys.”
Pre-chorus:
When I chose drugs over love
Money over trust, ’til I found us
When I chose lust over love
Danger over trust, ’til I found us
Chorus:
Now I’m in a good place
Took a while to feel this way
No longer have to save face
Reconciled with okayAnd with a whole lot of work, whole lot of hurt
Whole lot of grace, yeah
Now I’m in a good place, oh
My thoughts:
⭐4.8 out of 5
Favorite song: ICU (Madison’s Lullabye)
Favorite lyrics: Dancing with the Devil
This album is a work of art… the Art of Starting Over. It was hard to choose a track for Favorite lyrics because all of the songs have beautiful, deep and great lyrics. The tracklisting is great. When you listen to this album from the first track to the last, it feels like you’re listening to a story of a painful journey that ends with a happy ending. Good Place is really great and indeed the best ending song for an album. Demi has described each song beautifully and that’s why I liked it more. The one thing that could be better I think is all the background music. You really should listen to this album and I’m sure you’ll like it. It was my first time listening to her complete album and it was really worth it.
Have you listened to Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over? What are your views on this album? Was this review helpful to you?
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