Demi Lovato Just Wants To Feel Good

Demi Lovato is in her unbothered era. After years of getting deep about her struggles and journey with fame, the singer is now focused on enjoying herself in every aspect of her career, including her new album, It’s Not That Deep, and the looks she’s been rocking, which influenced her new style collaboration with Amazon Fashion.

“I've been having a lot of fun with fashion and trying new things, so the inspiration [for the collection] was comfortable, affordable clothes that reflected my music style, which is carefree and fun,” she tells Bustle over Zoom ahead of the launch.

Lovato’s new Amazon Essentials range includes over 40 clothing pieces and accessories for all genders that are priced below $100 and perfect for the upcoming holiday season, from patterned maxi dresses to cozy quilted puffers. Lovato has never adhered to fleeting trends, which is why her goal was to create classic styles that could become the go-to pieces in anyone’s wardrobe. “I always believe in dressing for yourself and what makes you feel good, and so I just stick to that,” she says.

The collection mirrors how she felt making It’s Not That Deep, where Lovato returns to the dance-pop sound of hits like “Cool for the Summer” and “Neon Lights,” allowing fans and herself to let loose on the dance floor. “I was in the studio with some really, really great people, really talented songwriters and producers,” she recalls, shouting out her collaborator Zhone. “Getting to laugh all the time with them and having fun in the studio was the most memorable part of this project.”

Lovato is excited to bring that joy to the stage on the It’s Not That Deep Tour, her first arena trek in nearly eight years, which kicks off in April and has already sold out New York’s famed Madison Square Garden. She promises “lots of dancing, all the hits, and lots of vocals,” plus an opening set from rising pop star Adéla, one of her new musical inspirations. “She's so talented, I think she's done such incredible work already, and I can't wait to see more to come from her,” she says.

Below, Lovato delves more into her new music, opens up about her iconic Halloween costume, and gives an update on the highly anticipated Camp Rock 3.

What's been making you feel good right now when it comes to fashion?

I wear a lot of Acne Studios, they have really good jeans and pieces that I’ve been wearing a lot of. Something I shied away from for the past couple of years was wearing heels, but I love a pointy heel, so having those back in my wardrobe has made me feel more empowered and sexy.

Tell me about your on-stage style as of late, like your recent love of lingerie and how it makes you feel when you're performing.

I'm getting ready to do a tour next year, but that fitting is a far ways away. Every time I go out on stage, I just like to feel confident and sexy in what I'm wearing, and so if that's lingerie, then great, and if it's a big old trash bag, then I'll wear that.

Are there any looks that you totally regret?

Yeah, of course. I've been in this industry a long time and had many different stylists. I think some of the things that I chose to wear in the beginning of my career, like bow ties, kill me.

Not the bow ties.

I know. It was in my Disney days when the fashion was very funky, and I just had a stylist that was really into bow ties and pushed that on me. I didn't have the wherewithal to say, “Hey, I'm not into this,” because I'd never had a stylist before. So I think the bow ties take the cake.

Are there any looks from those days that you're like, “You know what, I would still do that today”?

No. [laughs] No.

We need to talk about your Halloween costume. It was so brilliantly done. What inspired you to let Poot out the basement, and why was now the right time to do it?

I think now was the right time to do it because I've been poking fun at my viral memes in this new era, just taking the power back and laughing with everyone. So I think it was the perfect time for Poot to come out of the basement. I guess we didn't let Poot out, Poot was still in the basement, but we just took a camera down there. I think it took about four hours to get the costume on.

Speaking of viral memes, you’ve gone viral for your innate ability to lock in. What is your secret to properly locking in?

I just kind of do it. I can't really explain it. I'm very, very focused on the image, I don't blink. I think I've been taking pictures for so long, especially with fans, and you never know when they're going to take the picture, so I just never blink. I don't want to be caught dead blinking in a photograph.

The album is called It's Not That Deep, but there is a little depth on songs like “Sorry to Myself.” Why was a song like that important for you to include?

Well, I can't not have any substance to my lyrics whatsoever on a project, and it's important for me to still get emotional with some lyrics. “Sorry to Myself” in particular, I didn't want it to feel so heavy, so I added a very upbeat beat to it. If you were to take the lyrics out, it would just feel like a really fun dance song, and I liked the feeling of that, the juxtaposition of the two. But the overall message of the album is like, I just want to have fun.

You've gone from pop to R&B to rock to dance-pop and done them all so well. Is there a genre that you haven't tackled yet but would maybe want to in the future?

No [laughs]. I am so burnt out on genre switching, I think I just need to stay consistent for a while.

Does that mean we’re staying on the dance floor for a while longer?

Yeah. My priority right now is finishing a deluxe version, so hopefully that works out. But who knows, actually. I'm such a fluid person, I just end up making music that resonates with me and inspires me at the time, so who knows what I'll be into on the next album.

I must ask about Camp Rock 3. What has it been like working as an executive producer?

It's been really fun stepping into the role of executive producer, I've had a really good time. I think it's just been fun to watch, and really interesting to be a part of Camp Rock behind the scenes for me. I did get to talk to the cast and give them some advice on their careers and some things that I wish I had known when I was getting into the industry, and that was a really sweet moment for us.

Is there any chance that you’ll return as Mitchie in the new sequel?

You never know when she'll make an appearance.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.