Dancing with the Devil (song) explained

Dancing with the Devil
Cover:Demi Lovato - Dancing with the Devil.png
Type:single
Artist:Demi Lovato
Album:Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over
Released:[1]
Length:4:04
3:08 (radio edit)
Label:
Producer:Mitch Allan
Prev Title:What Other People Say
Prev Year:2021
Next Title:Met Him Last Night
Next Year:2021

"Dancing with the Devil" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato. It was released on March 26, 2021 by Island Records as the third[2] single from Lovato's seventh studio album Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over. The singer co-wrote the song with Bianca Atterberry, John Ho, and its producer Mitch Allan. The song debuted and peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 50 in the UK and the Billboard Global 200 and number 7 in Hungary.

Background and composition

"Dancing with the Devil" was featured in the trailer for Lovato's 2021 documentary and is the second track from the album Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over.[3] Set in the key of C minor, the vocal range spans nearly three octaves, from E♭3 to B♭5.[4]

The song begins with currently recovered Lovato chronicling a 2018 substance dependency relapse, which would lead to a near-fatal overdose later that same year.[5] The opening verses describe the relapse's initial phase, 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."[6] The second verse describes an introduction to heavier drugs: "A little white line" that eventually became "a little glass pipe."[7]

Ultimately, Lovato becomes addicted to smoking heroin, singing "Tinfoil remedy almost got the best of me,"[5] and confessing in the pre-chorus that during this time, "I told you I was OK, but I was lying."[7] The track's chorus, "almost made it to heaven" by "playing with the enemy / gambling with my soul", refers to a past overdose. Lovato also sings about the grip that addiction had and the psychological difficulty it imposed, repeating throughout the song "It's so hard to say no / When you're dancing with the devil".[8]

Lyric video

A lyric video was released with various visually muddled graphics, including imagery of an ocean, flames of a fire, and butterflies.

Music video

The video for "Dancing with the Devil" is a detailed re-creation of the events involved in Lovato's 2018 drug overdose, sexual assault, and harrowing near-death experience, as well as the aftermath in the hospital the days after.[9] The music video is a re-enactment, and includes the green jacket worn that night with scenes of substance abuse at a party, followed by proceeding home and unzipping of the drug dealer's duffel bag in Lovato's bedroom, and later the drug dealer looming ominously over the singer's unconscious and unclothed body, presumably after a sexual assault.[9] The paramedics are then shown reviving and transporting Lovato to the hospital, where a neck tube is sewn in, in order to pump out blood, clean it, and pump it back in.[9] This is followed by scenes of family and friends shuddering at the hospital during the first post-overdose day, when survival was in doubt.[9] Finally Lovato wakes up, and is given a sponge bath by a nurse, which reveals a "survivor" tattoo near where the neck blood tube used to be.[9]

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".[10] Billboard described the song as "powerful" and "confessional".[11] Rob Harvilla of The Ringer, describes the song as "an expert slow-burn barrage of Bond Movie Theme extravagant melodrama."[9]

Credits and personnel

Recording and management

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over.[12]

Accolades

YearOrganizationAwardResultRef.
2021MTV Europe Music AwardsVideo for Good[13]
MTV Video Music AwardsVideo for Good[14]

Charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[15] 6

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel
VariousMarch 26, 2021Island[16]
ItalyContemporary hit radioUniversal[17]
United StatesMarch 29, 2021Hot adult contemporary radio[18]
March 30, 2021Contemporary hit radio[19]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Demi Lovato Releases New Song "Dancing With the Devil": Listen. Evan. Minsker. Pitchfork.com. March 26, 2021. March 26, 2021. March 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210327132137/https://pitchfork.com/news/demi-lovato-releases-new-song-dancing-with-the-devil-listen/. live.
  2. Web site: Paul. Larisha. March 18, 2021. Demi Lovato Teases Ariana Grande Collaboration On New Single. April 2, 2021. uDiscover Music. ...The third Dancing With The Devil...The Art Of Starting Over single "Dancing With The Devil" will be released on March 26..
  3. Demi Lovato Reveals in 'Dancing With the Devil' She Suffered Three Strokes, Heart Attack After OD: Watch. Anna. Chan. February 17, 2021. March 22, 2021. Billboard. March 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210318052751/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9526950/demi-lovato-strokes-heart-attack-dancing-with-the-devil-trailer-video. live.
  4. Web site: Dancing with the Devil. Atterberry. Bianca. Lovato. Demi. Allan. Mitch. Ho. John. Lovato. Demi. March 26, 2021. Musicnotes.com. November 12, 2021.
  5. March 25, 2021. Lexy. Perez. Demi Lovato Chronicles Relapse, Overdose in New Single, "Dancing With the Devil". March 26, 2021. The Hollywood Reporter. March 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210326044130/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/demi-lovato-chronicles-relapse-overdose-in-new-single-dancing-with-the-devil. live.
  6. News: Demi Lovato sings about 2018 overdose in new song 'Dancing with the Devil'. Roisin. O'Connor. The Independent. March 26, 2021. March 26, 2021. March 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210327132142/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/demi-lovato-dancing-with-the-devil-lyrics-overdose-b1822813.html. live.
  7. Web site: Costantino. George. Demi Lovato drops new song, 'Dancing with the Devil,' about struggles with addiction. March 26, 2021. March 26, 2021. Good Morning America. March 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210327132129/https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/demi-lovato-releases-song-dancing-devil-struggles-addiction-76702264. live.
  8. Demi Lovato Sings About Relapse, Nearly Fatal Overdose in Powerful Song 'Dancing with the Devil'. Tomás. Mier. March 26, 2021. March 26, 2021. People. March 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210327132146/https://people.com/music/demi-lovato-sings-relapse-overdose-in-dancing-with-the-devil/. live.
  9. Web site: Harvilla. Rob. 2021-04-05. There's No Escapism in Demi Lovato's 'Dancing With the Devil'. 2021-04-06. The Ringer. en.
  10. Demi Lovato breaks down 11 songs from Dancing With the Devil... The Art of Starting Over. Shana Naomi. Krochmal. March 25, 2021. March 26, 2021. Entertainment Weekly. March 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210326135049/https://ew.com/music/demi-lovato-dancing-with-the-devil-the-art-of-starting-over-songs/. live.
  11. Demi Lovato Shares Confessional Song 'Dancing with the Devil': Stream It Now. March 26, 2021. March 26, 2021. Billboard. March 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210327132141/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9545883/demi-lovato-dancing-with-the-devil-song-listen/. live.
  12. Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over. Demi Lovato. 2021. Island Records.
  13. Web site: MTV EMA 2021 VOTING. 2021-11-04. www.mtvema.com.
  14. Justin Bieber & Megan Thee Stallion Lead 2021 MTV VMA Nominations. 2021-11-04. Billboard. en.
  15. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. April 5, 2021. April 3, 2021.
  16. Web site: Lovato. Demi. Dancing With The Devil – Single. Spotify. March 29, 2021.
  17. Web site: Mancabelli . Alice . Demi Lovato 'Dancing with the Devil' . . Radio Airplay SRL . March 28, 2021 . March 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210329170030/https://radiodate.it/radio-date/demi-lovato-dancing-with-the-devil-221826-26-03-2021-radiodate/ . live .
  18. Web site: Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases. All Access Music Group. March 28, 2021. February 5, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210205102959/https://www.allaccess.com/hot-modern-ac/future-releases. live.
  19. Web site: Top 40/M Future Releases. All Access Music Group. March 28, 2021. October 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201015090109/https://www.allaccess.com/top40-mainstream/future-releases. live.

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