LIAM McEWAN
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — On her ninth studio album, Demi Lovato has had a revelation: “It’s Not That Deep.”
It’s the title of her energetic dance-pop record, and a celebration of life’s joys and messiness — all of which appear across its 11 tracks.
“I’ve put so much energy and so much love into this album,” Lovato told The Associated Press at rehearsals for a special One Night Only event at the Palladium in Los Angeles last week. “I just couldn’t be more excited.”
Next spring, she’ll tour the album, hitting 23 cities across North America. The “It’s Not That Deep” Tour kicks off April 8 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and concludes May 25 at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Lovato will hit Orlando, Florida; Atlanta; Nashville; Washington, D.C,; Philadelphia; Toronto; Boston; New York; Columbus, Ohio; Detroit; Chicago; Minneapolis; Denver; Las Vegas; Anaheim, California; San Francisco; Seattle; Los Angeles; Glendale, Arizona; Dallas and Austin, Texas.
Artist presale begins Thursday at 10 a.m. local time. General sales begin Friday.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Lovato discussed her new album, her penchant for musical transformation and her forthcoming tour.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
AP: You’ve said this new album, this new era, is a celebration of your journey. You’re embracing the old, new, good, bad — from coming out on stage with the Jonas Brothers and singing “Camp Rock” stuff to the Poot meme. Are you reclaiming it?
LOVATO: I think it’s a bit of owning it. … I guess I didn’t realize that I’ve done iconic things. And if they are cringe to some people, they’re fun to me. … I think it’s, like, making peace with my past. … I’ve made peace with my journey and now I’m celebrating where I am at today.
For instance: The Poot meme, when it first happened, I didn’t realize it was photoshopped. I thought it was a bad angle of me. So, I like was really self-conscious about that meme and was like, “Oh my God, like, I can’t believe people are laughing at a bad angle of me,” and then I realized it was photoshopped and I was like “Wait, this is actually hilarious.” … Life is too short to take yourself too seriously, and I’m definitely not doing that anymore.
AP: That’s refreshing to hear a pop star say. When you let go of those feelings, what does it unlock for you creatively?
LOVATO: I think there’s something about your 30s, too, where you just take a second, and you are able to let go of some of the pressures that you once put on yourself, maybe in your 20s. And now I’m 33, and I’m not taking myself so seriously because I realize there’s room for everyone.
Creatively, what it unlocks for me is spontaneity and taking risks and having fun and cherishing the moments. … “Kiss,” for instance, it’s not the most intellectually stimulating song. It’s a simple party, fun song, and it’s sexy. And it’s like, that’s what it is. And I think so much of my past was, like, “I want to try and write, you know, deeply emotional songs about my past” and with this album, I was like, “I’m in a place where I’m having fun. I want my lyrics to reflect that, too.”
AP: That’s evident in the music — the party energy and the lyrical content. And there’s a duality.
LOVATO: It was exactly what I was hoping for. There’s songs like “Sorry to Myself,” too, which is another party moment but has a really powerful message. And it also bridges the gap between my old music and my music today, lyrically, where it is a bit emotional.
AP: You’ve played with a lot of genres like pop, rock, R&B and more. What drives these transformations for you?
LOVATO: I think what drives the transformations for me are literally what is inspiring me musically at the moment. And so, I’m a fan of all genres of music pretty much, for the most part. When I was in my rock era, I was listening to a lot of rock music that was inspiring me.
I went into this album thinking, “I’m gonna make an even harder rock album. I wanna go even more rock.” So, I started this process and I realized, I was like, “There’s only so many happy rock songs that you can write.” I’m in love, I’m feeling empowered, and I’m in this really great place, and I don’t know how to write rock songs that are, you know, all sunshine and rainbows. And there’s only so many of that that you can write. And so, I was like, “I need to switch up the genre.” So, I tried a couple of other genres, but what was really inspiring me was all the pop girlies and the pop artists that are out there today.
AP: Let’s talk about the tour. Your one night only show — an intimate 4,000 capacity room — was so popular, your team said over 200,000 people were in the Ticketmaster queue. You’re in demand.
LOVATO: Well, first of all, I cried when I saw that 200,000 people wanted to come to my show at the Palladium. … That was a dream come true — that level of demand is so reassuring. … I can’t thank my fans enough, like, I wouldn’t be here in this place without them. And so, I am just so thankful. And that’s why I shed tears of joy that day. (It) was because I was like, “Wow, I’m really sure of this album and I’m sure of this era, but so many people are too and that’s really rewarding.” And I can’t wait to bring the show on the road.
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AP Music Writer Maria Sherman contributed to this report from New York.