With new music, Demi Lovato hopes to help fans learn to love themselves
Demi Lovato may only be 25, but she's already overcome a lifetime of obstacles. She's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She's beaten addiction. She's in recovery from an eating disorder. And now, she's hitting the road with a powerful new album about growing up and learning to love yourself.
"I would say this album is about growing up and becoming an adult," the pop star told CBS News of her new album, "Tell Me You Love Me." "There's songs on the album that represent past relationships that I've been through. There's some about sexuality, but also there's ones about overcoming obstacles."
Take the LP's soulful fourth track, "You Don't Do It For Me Anymore," for example.
"People think it's a breakup song," explains Lovato, "but it's actually kind of a breakup song with myself and my bad habits."
And the title track, with its infectious R&B hook and powerhouse vocals -- that's no simple love song either.
"Well, it's a song about wanting to be loved, but any time that I have a song that is meaningful to me, I try to turn it into something positive," says Lovato. "So, to me, it's about vulnerability and I'd also like for the message to be about learning to love yourself."
And in the current social climate, that message may be more relevant than ever.
"There's a lot of incredible things happening in this world with speaking up and positivity," Lovato told CBS News in an interview Thursday. "And as hard as this world can be to live in sometimes, there's a lot of people that are doing activism work. And I think that it's important that change happens. And change can only happen when you learn to love yourself, then you realize your worth and your value. I hope people learn that as they listen to my music."
Lovato is also teaming up with American Airlines and Mastercard through their #MilesMakeMemories program to offer fans the chance to experience her music in a more intimate setting than they may have ever seen her before.
"I loved the whole thing about making new memories," says Lovato. "And I'm playing songs off my new album, "Tell Me You Love Me," and a lot of those are more mature. So, they do well in really intimate settings."
Unlike the tour she's kicking off at the end of the month with DJ Khaled, Lovato says these special cardholder shows are not huge productions, but rather showcases in smaller venues where she can be closer to her fans.
The perfect setting for them to tell her they love her.