LOS ANGELES (AP) — On his ninth studio album Demi Lovato there was a revelation: “It's not that deep.”
The title of her energetic dance-pop record, and a celebration of life's joys and troubles, it's all present across its 11 tracks.
“I put so much energy and so much love into this album,” Lovato told The Associated Press at a rehearsal for the One Night Only special at the Palladium. in Los Angeles last week. “I just couldn't be more excited.”
She will tour next spring in support of the album, visiting 23 cities in North America. The “It's Not That Deep” tour kicks off on April 8 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina and ends on May 25 at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Lovato will hit Orlando, Florida; Atlanta; Nashville; Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Toronto; Boston; New York; Columbus, Ohio; Detroit; Chicago; Minneapolis; Denver; Las Vegas; Anaheim, California; San Francisco; Seattle; Los Angeles; Glendale, Arizona; Dallas and Austin, Texas.
Artist pre-sales begin Thursday at 10 a.m. local time. General sales begin Friday.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Lovato discussed her new album, her penchant for musical transformation and her upcoming tour.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
AP: You've said that this new album, this new era, is a celebration of your journey. You embrace the old, the new, the good and the bad – going on stage with Jonas brothers and sang “Camp Rock” to the Puth meme. Are you restoring it?
LOVATO: I think it's kind of owning it. … I guess I didn't realize that I had done iconic things. And if they irritate some people, then they are interesting to me. … I think it's a kind of reconciliation with my past. … I have come to terms with my journey and now celebrate where I am today.
For example: Meme Put, when it first happened, I didn't realize it was photoshopped. I thought this was a bad angle on my part. So, I was really self-conscious about this meme and said, “Oh my god, I can't believe people are laughing at me from a bad angle,” and then I realized it was photoshopped and said, “Wait, this is really funny.” … Life is too short to take yourself too seriously, and I definitely don't do that anymore.
AP: It's nice to hear the words of a pop star. When you let go of these feelings, what does it open up for you creatively?
LOVATO: I think there's also something about being 30 where you just take a second and you can let go of some of the pressure that you once put on yourself, maybe in your 20s. And now I'm 33, and I don't take myself so seriously because I understand that there is a place for everyone.
Creatively, for me, it opens up the possibility of spontaneity, risk-taking, fun and cherishing moments. … “Kiss”, for example, is not the most intellectually stimulating song. It's a simple party song, a fun song and it's sexy. And that's what it looks like. And I think a lot of my past was like, “I want to try to write, you know, deeply emotional songs about my past,” and with this album I was like, “I'm at a place where I'm having fun. I want my lyrics to reflect that too.”
AP: This can be seen in the music – party energy and lyrical content. And here there is duality.
LOVATO: It was exactly what I was hoping for. There are also songs like “Sorry to Myself” which are another party moment but have a really powerful message. And it also bridges the gap between my old music and my music today, lyrically, where it's a little emotional.
AP: You played in many genres, such as pop, rock, R&B and much more. What is the driving force behind this transformation for you?
LOVATO: I think the driving force behind transformation for me is literally what inspires me musically at the moment. So, for the most part, I'm a fan of all genres of music. When I was in the rock era, I listened to a lot of rock music, which inspired me.
I went into this album thinking, “I'm going to make an even harder rock album. I want more rock.” So I started this process and realized, “There are so many fun rock songs you can write.” I'm in love, I feel energized, I'm in this really beautiful place, and I don't know how to write rock songs that are, you know, full of sunshine and rainbows. And there is so much more that you can write. And I thought, “I need to change genre.” So, I tried a couple of their genres, but what really inspired me was all pop girls and pop artists who exist today.
AP: Let's talk about the tour. Your one-night show in an intimate 4,000-person venue was so popular that your team said over 200,000 people attended. ticket master queue. You are in demand.
LOVATO: Well, first of all, I cried when I saw that 200,000 people wanted to come to my show at the Palladium. … It was a dream – this level of demand is very encouraging. … I can't thank my fans enough, like, without them I wouldn't be here. And so I'm just so grateful. And so that day I cried with joy. (It) happened because I thought, “Wow, I'm really confident in this album and this era, but so many people are too, and that's really rewarding.” And I can't wait to take the show on the road.
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AP Music Writer Maria Sherman in New York contributed to this report.
