Demi Lovato - Tell Me You Love Me

Demi Lovato
Tell Me You Love Me
2017
Spotify

I think if Taylor Swift wanted to make a forceful comeback track she should have ditched "Look What You Made Me Do" and used Demi's single "Sorry Not Sorry" instead. Yet Demi always seems to be just ahead of the curve when it comes to other pop stars, she's more entrenched in activism and bares her soul pretty regularly. One thing is simple when comparing Demi to her contemporaries, her voice is just miles away better. Whether belting or whispering she manages to make any song she is on better. Even if the sentiments aren't your favorite try to listen to some of these tracks and not get chills. On this her sixth album however Demi has found her lane, sumptuous R&B with some electronics peppered in. She was never the EDM star that Selena Gomez was because Her voice is just to unique, when you hear her sing you know who it is almost instantly. On "You Don't Do it for Me Anymore" Lovato delves into a song about a breakup, but rather than with a lover it is with addiction. It's a really honest take without forcing a narrative down your throat. She's her most fun on tracks like "Dirty Sexy Love" which is sexy in a really sweet way. She could have easily gone full on sexual to try and keep herself fresh, but this is the better choice using subtlety rather than beating you over the head, even though "Daddy Issues" is a bit heavy handed. It is also to have some songs that do not feature Demi singing it out at the top of her lungs. She's grown to know that sometimes being quiet gives you a greater impact than a full out belt-fest.

"Ruin the Friendship" is an example of a track where she lays back and allows the track to come to her rather than using her voice to force it. It ends up being sexy, silky and wiry almost reaching Kehlani levels of slick. This is the change from her previous records, she really for the first time feels comfortable in the music she is making rather than just doing what Disney or Her label wanted her to do. There are a few times where her romantic tendencies are a bit overly sappy and the collaboration with Lil Wayne and DJ Mustard "Lonely" is mediocre at best. "Cry Baby" also has the line "We breakup to make up" which is hands down one of my least favorite lyrics of all time. How many times is someone going to say "we breakup to make up" in the studio and everyone else says "yep, that's original and amazing"? "Games" feels like a 90s throwback btu with a more modern musical arrangement. It's banger adjacent and I feel like a remix will be coming sooner rather than later where this track really explodes. It may have taken six albums to get there but it feels like Demi Lovato is finally comfortable enough with herself to let that come through in her music.

7.9 out of 10