Hear Demi Lovato Grapple With Shame, Relapse on New Song ‘Sober’
Demi Lovato surprise-released “Sober,” a sparse piano ballad underpinned by light percussion, on her Instagram. The caption read “My truth,” and the lyrics are about reckoning with the shame and having the courage to ask for forgiveness despite falling from grace.
“Momma, I’m so sorry I’m not sober anymore,” she sings. “And Daddy please forgive me for the drinks spilled on the floor/ To the ones who never left me, we’ve been down this road before/ I’m so sorry, I’m not sober anymore.”
Over the past few years, Lovato has been very open about her own struggles with drugs and alcohol. She addressed her addiction and recovery extensively in her 2017 documentary Simply Complicated. During her recent tour with DJ Khaled, she offered fans free therapy sessions and wellness workshops at each concert.
In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Lovato spoke about how she tries to stay sober, saying, “It’s not so much about avoiding drugs and alcohol, because I don’t necessarily put myself in those situations. I don’t go to clubs. It shapes my life in a sense that I do inventories all the time. If I want to flip somebody the bird while driving, I check with myself, like, ‘Why do I want to do that? Why am I impatient right now?'”
Lovato released her latest solo album, Tell Me You Love Me, last year. In 2018, she’s collaborated with several other artists including DJ Khaled and Christina Aguilera.