By Bella Coulter

Earlier this week, singer-songwriter Demi Lovato released a powerful single, encompassing a devastating recount of her past dark emotions. Despite the fact that the song was released on Jan. 27 of this year, Lovato revealed on her Instagram that the song was actually recorded on July 20, 2018, four days before she was hospitalized for a drug overdose. 

Lovato has always struggled with substance abuse, a topic she has been very open about with her fans. This song is no different, as she spills her soul into the lyrics, which little autotune or editing to cloud her raw emotions. She reveals in an Instagram post, “Even tho [sic.] I’m pretty much a perfectionist recording, I thought this was better to be left the way it is.” Her decision to release the song a year and a half later with no modifications shows her fans that she’s trying to be more vulnerable, and show the hardships she has faced over the years.

The song itself is devastating. It perfectly captures the pain and loneliness she felt right before her overdose. Even though music is typically a place of peace and healing for artists, Lovato sings, “100 million stories and 100 million songs, I feel stupid when I sing. Nobody’s listening to me. Nobody listening.” She continues to belt out her heartbreak with her usual powerful vocals. Her unique voice is perfect for the song, as she strains and cracks her voice on all the right notes. 

The chaotic and desperate nature of the song allow her fans to glimpse into her mind days before her tragic accident. She feels terribly alone, as she begs, “Please send me anyone. I need anyone.” 

Her drug overdose back in 2018 came as a shock to her fans, who supported her through all the years of rehab and therapy since 2010, when she first sought help for her addiction. She had been sober for six years, before dealing with an unfortunate relapse in 2018.

Since her overdose, she has been quiet and kept out of the spotlight. This song marks her first release since the incident, as she slowly works her way back to a place on the stage. A few days after the song’s release, she performed on stage for the first time in almost two years. Her healing process has been slow, but steady, and she is well on her way to becoming the pop icon she once was.