Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato was released on September 29, 2017. This was Demi’s sixth album, and one of her most personal ones to date. She created a great divide between her old Disney Channel self and her current persona with this album. Her struggles with addiction, mental health, and her eating disorder held a great impact on her writing this album, as well as how it has been perceived by her fans.
“What inspired me to be so open on this album was, I don’t know, I’ve kind of been through a lot over this past year and a half since I released my last album, or two years, and I wanted to be honest because my fans deserve that.” Demi said in an interview with Billboard Magazine.
Lovato has been known to have a great relationship with her fans, especially in regards to this album. She even let some select fans release her track list over Twitter.
Lyrically, Demi is very open and honest and often times focuses on the ups and the downs of relationships. She discusses her great times within relationships, and also her tough times and when it’s time to let go.
This album definitely incorporates some R&B style which differs from her previous pop focus. Especially in certain songs like “Sexy Dirty Love.” In this song she shows her more playful side, yet is still very empowering, also emphasizing this different side of her. This song includes multiple guitar riffs that add to the R&B feel of the song.
Demi is never afraid to use her vocals to her full ability, she is known for her booming vocals in her previous works as well. In the track Tell Me You Love Me she uses her vocals to a completely new way.
Lovato just recently created a documentary in which she showed her fans that she records her music line by line in order to create the perfect sound. Lovato put so much detail into this album, and it truly showed to her fans. In this documentary she also discusses how her past addictions have made an impact on the creation of this album.
Every single song on this album has a deep meaning towards Lovato’s past. In an interview with Billboard she went into detail in regards to every song on her album. Some songs meant more to the artist while others were more about expressing herself and breaking out of her shell.
“Sorry Not Sorry”
“This is one of my favorites and the first single off of the album. I wanted to kick off the launch of my new music in a fun and upbeat way. A lot of people on my team wanted to go with another song as the first single, and I really pushed for ‘Sorry Not Sorry.’ We also had a blast making the music video, and the song is an unapologetic anthem for all the haters out there. It’s basically a message that says I’m gonna live my life and choose my happiness on my own terms, and I won’t apologize for it.”
“Only Forever”
“This is a song about wanting the person you want to explore a new relationship with to make that first move or take that next step. It’s almost a sequel to ‘Ruin the Friendship.’ A lot of times that waiting games feels like forever. I was feeling a lot of emotions when I wrote this song. It’s about giving someone chances that will last a lifetime.”
“Hitchhiker
“This song is both sexy and a little risky. It’s about experimenting with that special someone and going on an adventure with them.”
Personally, I feel like the most emotional song in the album is “Only Forever.” I feel as if she is really trying to connect with her fans and explain herself. Here is what Lovato had to say about this track:
“Only Forever”
“This is a song about wanting the person you want to explore a new relationship with to make that first move or take that next step. It’s almost a sequel to ‘Ruin the Friendship.’ A lot of times that waiting games feels like forever. I was feeling a lot of emotions when I wrote this song. It’s about giving someone chances that will last a lifetime.”
“You Don’t Do It For Me Anymore”
“Everyone relates to this song differently, and that’s the beauty of music. You’re allowed to connect with a song in the way that you choose. For some people this song is about the end of a relationship, but for me, it’s a goodbye letter to my old self and some of my destructive behaviors. So it’s deeply personal.”
She keeps an upbeat tempo in songs such as “Sorry Not Sorry” yet slows it down with songs such as “Concentrate”. This album truly showed her diversity as a singer and how she is able to express herself in a creative way and create great diverse music.
This album is mostly popular for a younger generation, her demographic target was definitely not as selective as it previously was, which was mainly teenagers.
In this album Demi has really broken out from her Disney Channel shell completely, she is done being an innocent teenage girl, and she is ready to talk about her growth as a person. She includes multiple sexual references and profanity to show her maturity. She is not afraid to express who she is as a person, and relate to her fans directly, while also creating great music.
