Well, it's that time again: when an artist puts out a new album and I get to lose my mind speculating about whom each track is about. This time it's Demi Lovato's brand new album Confident , released Oct. 16, and, while I'm certainly curious about whether references to Lovato's friends Selena Gomez or Taylor Swift feature on any of the tracks, my main question is: are any of the songs on Confident about Wilmer Valderrama? In case you've been living under a rock for the past five years, or trapped under something heavy that doesn't allow you to reach the Internet, Lovato and Valderrama have been happily dating since 2010, a relationship that they've become more and more public with over the years until now, when they post about each other on social media on a fairly regular basis.
The postings are always full of supportive and loving messages harkening back to their long history together through thick and thin, and, if there's one song from Confident whose lyrics reflect that kind of mentality, I think it's "Lionheart," the ninth track on the album and definitely a new karaoke standard of mine.
Here are all the lyrics that I think point toward "Lionheart" being about Demi Lovato's boyfriend of five years, Wilmer Valderrama.
"Your light is inside of me / Like a raging roar / Like an ocean born / You're in my veins / Your voice is serenity / When the Sun goes down / And the strength I've found / Is in my veins"
Lovato frequently speaks of what an incredible source of support Valderrama has been to her in terms of her sobriety, and the juxtaposition of force and peace here seems to really speak to that. Whoever Lovato is singing about, that person is always with her, inside her, giving her strength. Based on the Instagram captions we've seen from her, all signs point to Valderrama.
"Our story binds us / Like right and wrong / Your hand in mine / Marching to the beat of the stars"
The "right and wrong" aspect of this line really struck me, as Lovato and Valderrama's relationship has not been without controversy — it began when Lovato was just 17, and Valderrama was 30 with a history of dating other younger girls, like Lindsay Lohan. Eek. But, now, it's been five years, and these two are still together.
"And we walk together into the light / And my love will be your armor tonight / We are lionhearts / And we stand together facing a war / And our love is gonna conquer it all / We are lionhearts"
I'm particularly interested in the line "we stand together facing a war," which, in my mind, could be Lovato's war against addiction, both of them fighting bad press for their relationship, or just fame in general, which has already shown its potential to be so damaging to the two of them. Either way, it all fits — they don't need other people to understand, because they have each other.
"You're here like a silhouette / When the darkness rules / You're the brightest moon / And I am safe / You're never far from where I am / Like a lighthouse, bring me home / You're never far from me / Let your spirit glow"
These lines really remind me of things Lovato has said about missing Valderrama when she's away from him, even after all these years. He's the light that calls her home, and the moon that keeps her safe, even when they're apart.
Not convinced yet? Listen to the song yourself, and try to tell me whom it could be about if not Valderrama!
I haven't always been the biggest fan of their relationship, but listening to this song helps me put it in a better light, because it's obviously something that's very important to Demi Lovato. And if it works for her, it works for me! Congratulations, you two lionhearted souls. May there be many happy years (and killer songs!) after this one.
