On the eve of her 30th birthday, Demi Lovato released her eighth studio album, HOLY FVCK. Upon the album's arrival, Lovato celebrated with a message to fans.
"HOLY FVCK 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," she wrote in a social media post. "It's cathartic and grounded, yet exhilarating and a hell of a good time."
That pretty much sums up HOLY FVCK's 16 tracks. The album is a whirlwind of hard rock sounds and hard-felt emotions, but overall, it feels like Lovato is home.
Those who have been following Lovato since her 2008 debut Don't Forget remember that her pop music is rooted in rock. As she makes a return to her guitar-heavy beginnings, Lovato does so with growth both personally and musically — making HOLY FVCK a wild ride that has seemingly set Lovato free.
As you dive in yourself, take a look at five takeaways from Demi Lovato's HOLY FVCK.
She's Back Where She Belongs
Four days after Lovato held a "funeral" for her pop music this past January, she shared a photo of a sweaty, teenage Demi performing with the caption "15 & it wasn't a phase." Lovato was a teenager in the emo era of the mid-2000s — the "Warped Tour days," as she put it — which in part inspired the rock-leaning sound of her first two albums. That influence makes a comeback on HOLY FVCK.
While "SUBSTANCE" and "HAPPY ENDING" are more reminiscent of the pop-rock she displayed on her first two albums, Lovato channeled her heavy-metal interests on "HEAVEN," "FREAK" and "EAT ME." But whatever the rock route she takes, every song sounds like Lovato is fully in her element.
She Can Scream With The Best Of Them
From the moment she wailed on the bridge of her debut single "Get Back," it's been no secret that Lovato has insane vocal power. But as even Lovato herself admits, "I never went this hard."
There are several high notes across HOLY FVCK that will have you saying exactly that — particularly the final notes of "CITY OF ANGELS" and "SUBSTANCE," or the bridge of "COME TOGETHER." Demi goes hardest on "EAT ME," with thrashing guitars that pair with Lovato's impressive scream-singing for one hell of a headbanger.
She's Feeling Sexier Than Ever
If you thought Lovato couldn't get any more provocative than 2015's "Cool For the Summer" or 2017's Tell Me You Love Me deep cut "Concentrate," brace yourself for HOLY FVCK. (She's not in bondage on the cover for nothing!)
Several tracks on the album make it clear that Lovato is feeling herself, including the title track which flips the idiom into a confident remark for the bedroom: "I'm a holy f—." Elsewhere, she feels the adrenaline rush of attraction ("BONES"), fantasizes about a sexual venture through Los Angeles ("CITY OF ANGELS"), and sneakily praises the climax ("COME TOGETHER").
At the same time, Lovato's hyper-sexual vibe may inspired by a new love, as she teases in the metaphorical anthem "WASTED" ("The highest high can't hold a candle to/ Getting wasted on you," she belts). Whatever is bringing it out, she's not afraid to let it be known.
She Has A New Perspective On A Few Things
After Lovato posed the question, "Demi leaves rehab again/ When is this s— gonna end?" in HOLY FVCK's lead single "SKIN OF MY TEETH," it seemed the album may be another detailed account of her complicated relationship with addiction like 2021's Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over. Instead, she takes a step back and reflects on much of what she's been through.
Perhaps the most surprising perspective comes on "29," which assesses her relationship with actor Wilmer Valderrama — which began when she was 17 and he was 29 — in scathing fashion. "Finally 29/ Funny, just like you were at the time," she sings. "Thought it was a teenage dream, just a fantasy/ But was it yours or was it mine?"
According to HOLY FVCK's balladic closer "4 EVER 4 ME," some of Lovato's realizations about her relationship with Valderrama came from her newest romance, which might be a bit more stable. "I can't hold back/ I've fallen in love," she gushes on the final chorus. "I think this is forever for me."
Other revelations seemed to come within Lovato herself. She admits survivor's guilt on "DEAD FRIENDS" and questions whether she'll find peace on "HAPPY ENDING," but ultimately asserts on "FEED" that she has a hold on her demons — at least for now: "I got two wolves inside of me/ But I decide which one to feed."
She No Longer Gives A Fvck
"I know the part I've played before/ I know the s— that I've ignored/ I know the girl that you adored/ She's dead, it's time to f—ing mourn," Lovato proclaims on the chorus of "EAT ME." Though it's not the opening track, the song serves as the singer's predominant declaration from HOLY FVCK: I'm done caring what you think.
Whether she's shutting down haters on "HELP ME," inviting everyone to her freakshow on "FREAK," or delivering headline-worthy lyrics on "29," Lovato brings plenty of statement pieces to HOLY FVCK. She seems to have grown from the lessons she's learned, and put in the work to feel better than ever — so now it's time to rock.