Lovato’s cry for help reminds us that celebrities are human too
On July 24, 2018, Demi Lovato was hospitalized after an overdose. Two years later, she returned to the stage to perform at the 62nd Grammys and debut her song “Anyone.”
Lovato did not know if she would ever return to the stage after her relapse. She revealed in an interview with Billboard that she wanted to sing “Anyone” while she was in the hospital, despite her future career in music looking uncertain.
Listening to the song, you begin to get a glimpse of her mental state. The song has some hard-hitting lyrics: ‘Anyone, please send me anyone/ Lord, is there anyone?’
“I was recording it in a state of mind where I felt I was okay, but clearly I wasn’t,” Lovato said. “I even listen back to it and I’m like, ‘Gosh, I wish I could go back in time and help that version of myself.’”
This is not the first time Lovato has struggled with addiction. In 2010, she was admitted for treatment of an eating disorder, an addiction, bipolar disorder and self-harm. She conquered all of this, but had a relapse in 2018 after being sober for six years.
Lovato is more candid than many artists are about her personal life and her own struggles. She has talked about her battle with addiction on social media and is a mental health advocate. She shared the following on her social media after her relapse:
“What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.”
The most controversial reference in her song is her mention of God.
“I shied away from church for many years because I didn’t feel welcome,” Lovato said.
In fact, Lovato’s comments on Instagram about her trip to Israel and being baptized in the Jordan River were criticized. It is not new for celebrities to be scrutinized for their faith.
If Hollywood is a place full of sin, we should witness those who are entrenched in it. One day, we will all stand before the throne and be shocked as to who is there.
We also mustn’t forget that celebrities are human. They struggle with the same things we do. “Anyone” shows that. Celebrities’ sins are just more visible because of the public eye constantly being upon them, but that does not mean they do not have moments of weakness.
“My success does not measure my happiness,” Lovato told Billboard.
Therefore, Lovato being candid about the mountains she encounters can help people to see it is okay to struggle. As she sings in “Sober,” ‘And I’m sorry for the fans I lost/ Who watched me fall again/ I wanna be a role model/ But I’m only human.’
When Lovato performed at the Grammys, the pain she experienced was palpable. Lovato had to restart singing “Anyone” because of how emotional she was. As she begins again, a single tear drips down her face. Soon, her powerhouse voice returned, as she collected her strength and lost herself in the song.
According to The Atlantic, this is an important part of Lovato’s performance, as she admits to being human and that music cannot be the only therapy.
“My music is a platform that I need to relate to as hope and inspiration too,” Lovato said.
It is important to understand empathy to stand up for others. Lovato felt like she wasn’t being heard and that her singing did not help. She needed human connection, someone to show her that she was at rock bottom. Sometimes it takes a matter of life and death for us to open our eyes and see what lies within our grasp.