Album Review: Demi Lovato – HOLY FVCK
2 min read
With the release of HOLY FVCK, Demi Lovato’s sweet, poppy albums from recent years have been blown out the water with a shockwave of hard rock dynamite.
The first tune, FREAK – featuring English singer Yungblud – shakes any passive listeners to life from the first beat with Lovato’s iconic vocals paired with a dusty, overdriven bass riff that flirts with atonality and darts around the low end of the track. The chorus explodes into the foreground with punky guitars and an energetic drum pattern that switches between rhythms. Yungblud’s signature vocal style also adds to the dirty, distorted sound of the tune.
Next up, the album takes a turn down punk street with SKIN OF MY TEETH, which wouldn’t be out of place on a Green Day record. The theme of addiction and rehab is emphasised by the abrasive nature of the song; the struggles that Lovato has endured are shockingly evident.
SKIN OF MY TEETH is not the only song on the album whose lyrics delve into several significant themes. Lovato touches on multiple personal experiences that they have recently come up against, including understanding their sexuality and dealing with hate from the public as a result. The record is upliftingly empowering, as Lovato ‘takes back control’ over how others see them and disregards the negative opinions that some of the public have on them.
There are also softer, more heartfelt tunes on the record, for example HAPPY ENDING, whose rock ballad sound adds a new dimension to the album, as Lovato questions whether they will get their ‘happy ending’ before the end of their life.
COME TOGETHER brings out a glimpse of Lovato’s earlier poppiness even more; its anthemic feel combined with the romantic nature of the lyrics makes it a wave of positive emotion as the album nears its latter stage.
Apart from the collaboration with Yungblud on FREAK, Lovato has also teamed up with LA-based rock band Dead Sara and singer-songwriter Royal & the Serpent. These partnerships have taken an already impressive body of work to the next level, with the feature artists sprinkling their own magic into the HOLY FVCK cauldron.
With this latest release, Demi Lovato has created something which is sure to take the music world by storm. Fans will love the famous versatility of their vocals, while the hard rock style that they have adopted promises to attract a new audience. Either way, there is something for everyone, and the quality of the album will help to convey the important topics that Lovato covers in the lyrics. They have also embarked on the HOLY FVCK Tour on release, which will run for the coming months.
