"Dancing With The Devil" is the lead single and second track from Demi Lovato's seventh studio album, Dancing With The Devil... The Art Of Starting Over. It was released on March 26, 2021, by Island Records.
Background and composition[]
"Dancing with the Devil" was featured in the trailer for Lovato's 2021 documentary Dancing With The Devil and is the second track from their album Dancing With The Devil... The Art Of Starting Over.[2] The song begins with currently recovered Lovato chronicling their 2018 relapse, which would lead to their near-fatal overdose later that same year.[3] The verses open with lyrical content that reflect the initial phase of the relapse, which was primarily with red wine: "It's just a little red wine, I'll be fine/ Not like I wanna do this every night/ I've been good, don't I deserve it? I think I've earned it/ Feels like it's worth it in my mind."[4] The second verse describes their introduction to heavier drugs: "A little white line" that eventually became "a little glass pipe."[5] Ultimately, Lovato finds theirself addicted to smoking heroin and sings, "Tinfoil remedy almost got the best of me."[3] They also confessed to their fans and loved ones in the pre-chorus that during this time, "I told you I was OK, but I was lying."[5] In the track's chorus, Lovato refers to their past overdose directly, singing that they "almost made it to heaven" by "playing with the enemy / gambling with my soul." Lovato also sings about the grip addiction had on them and the psychological difficulty it had imposed, singing throughout the song "It's so hard to say no / When you're dancing with the devil".[6]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
It's just a little red wine, I'll be fine
Not like I wanna do this every night
I've been good, don't I deserve it?
I think I earned it, feels like it's worth it
In my mind, mind
[Pre-Chorus]
Twisted reality, hopeless insanity
I told you I was okay but I was lying
[Chorus]
I was dancing with the devil, out of control
Almost made it to Heaven, it was closer than you know
Playing with the enemy, gambling with my soul
It's so hard to say no, when you're dancing with the devil
[Verse 2]
It's just a little white line, I'll be fine
But soon that little white line is a little glass pipe
Tinfoil remedy, almost got the best of me
I keep praying I don't reach the end of my lifetime, mmm
[Pre-Chorus]
Twisted reality, hopeless insanity
I told you I was okay but I was lying
[Chorus]
I was dancing with the devil, out of control
Almost made it to Heaven, it was closer than you know
Playing with the enemy, gambling with my soul
It's so hard to say no, when you're dancing with the devil
[Bridge]
Thought that I knew my limit, yeah
I thought that I could quit it, yeah
I thought that I could walk away easily
But here I am falling down on my knees
Praying for better days
To come and wash this pain away
Could you please forgive me?
Lord, I'm sorry for dancing with the devil
Oh, ye-yeah
[Chorus]
Dancing with the devil, out of control
Almost made it to Heaven, it was closer than you know (Closer than you know)
Playing with the enemy (Oh), gambling with my soul
It's so hard to say no, when you're dancing with the devil
Hmm, yeah
Critical reception[]
Prior to its release, "Dancing with the Devil" was described by Shana Naomi Krochmal of Entertainment Weekly as "evok[ing] Adele's "Skyfall" theme."[7] Billboard described the song as "powerful" and "confessional."[8]
Videos[]
References
- ↑ Pitchfork - Demi Lovato Releases New Song "Dancing With the Devil": Listen
- ↑ Billboard - Demi Lovato Reveals in 'Dancing With the Devil' She Suffered Three Strokes, Heart Attack After OD: Watch
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hollywood Reporter - Demi Lovato Chronicles Relapse, Overdose in New Single, "Dancing With the Devil"
- ↑ Independent - Demi Lovato sings about 2018 overdose in new song 'Dancing with the Devil'
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Good Morning America - Demi Lovato drops new song, 'Dancing with the Devil,' about struggles with addiction
- ↑ People - Demi Lovato Sings About Relapse, Nearly Fatal Overdose in Powerful Song 'Dancing with the Devil'
- ↑ Entertainment Weekly - Demi Lovato breaks down 11 songs from Dancing With the Devil... The Art of Starting Over
- ↑ Billboard - Demi Lovato Shares Confessional Song 'Dancing with the Devil': Stream It Now
Dancing With The Devil... The Art Of Starting Over | |||||||
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Credits · Certifications · Charts
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