“Dancing with the Devil” is the lead single and one-part title track of Demi Lovato’s 2021 album ‘Dancing With the Devil…The Art of Starting Over.’ In the song, Demi Lovato opens up about her near-death overdose in July 2018.
Demi Lovato announced her seventh studio album ‘Dancing With the Devil…The Art of Starting Over‘ to be released on April 2, 2021. This is her follow-up project to her 2017 album ‘Tell Me You Love Me.’ The album touches on her personal struggles with drug addiction and her almost-fatal overdose in 2018.
‘Dancing with the devil’ is a common metaphor for taking risks that could potentially threaten your life itself, knowingly. Most of the time, it’s a lose-lose dance, and Demi Lovato took the full ride with the devil and was fortunate (or strong) enough to live to tell the tale.
Listen to “Dancing With The Devil” by Demi Lovato
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“Dancing With The Devil” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Verse 1
The song starts where Demi’s addiction began. She explains how it all started with a simple red wine, and she even made a few excuses for that. She has been working hard, breaking records, selling music, touring, and all that success. So, she deserves a break, right?
I’ve been good, don’t I deserve it?
It is saddening to hear how she had to convince herself in the first place for a glass of wine. However, it was the first step in a path spiraling down.
However, Demi Lovato has previously opened up about how her previous manager had her on a tight leash when it came to controlling what she ate to maintain her ‘image.’ She spoke about this in detail; “There were times I lived at the gym. I’d eat a meal, go work out. And that’s not happiness to me. That’s not freedom. “I was just running myself into the ground, and I honestly think that that’s kind of what led to everything happening over the past year. It was just me thinking I found recovery when I didn’t, and then living this kind of lie and trying to tell the world I was happy with myself when I really wasn’t.”
Pre-chorus
Both “twisted reality” and “hopeless insanity” could be references to Demi’s mind on drugs. However, Demi also mentioned a similar line in her new documentary ‘Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil,’ where she said “I think that God has a twisted sense of humor sometimes.”
She also confesses that she was lying to everyone around her saying that she was okay when she was not. Just a few weeks before her near-fatal overdose, Demi released a song titled “Sober” which revealed that she has been relapsing even though she was supposed to be clean.
Chorus
In the chorus of the song, Demi Lovato reveals how she did a dance with the devil and almost lost. Looking back, she realizes the dangers of the game she was playing. It took her a near-death experience in 2018 for her to realize that the price for this dance was her life.
Demi Lovato admits “It’s so hard to say no / When you’re dancing with the devil.”
Verse 2
Continuing from the first verse, Demi Lovato says how her addiction transitioned from the “little red wine” to a “glass pipe” referencing her crack-cocaine and Methamphetamine (Meth) addiction. The glass pipe is used to inhale the burning drugs. A tin foil is used to burn heroin, yet another drug Demi Lovato was on. These are some of the worst drugs available on the planet right now.
Bridge
In these lyrics, Demi confesses to something that every addict says themselves. They all think they know the limit and they can walk away anytime they want. But this dance isn’t like any other. It sucks you in and it makes you crave more and more. It’s not an endless pit; the end of the pit is death.
Demi Lovato begs for forgiveness from Lord for everything she has done. Most of all, she is sorry for herself for trying to fool herself.
Some of these lyrics will be relatable to you as well. If you feel like you need help, please do reach out to someone who can help you. It’s never too late!
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.
Watch “Dancing with The Devil” music video by Demi Lovato below.