Demi Lovato

Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for playing Mitchie Torres in the musical television film ''Camp Rock'' (2008) and its sequel '' Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam'' (2010). The former film's soundtrack contained " This Is Me", Lovato's debut single and duet with Joe Jonas, which peaked at number nine on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

After signing with Hollywood Records, Lovato released her pop rock debut album, ''Don't Forget'' (2008), which debuted at number two on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200. Its follow-up, '' Here We Go Again'' (2009), debuted at number one in the U.S., while its title track reached number 15 on the Hot 100. Her third studio album, '' Unbroken'' (2011), experimented with pop and R&B and spawned the U.S. platinum-certified single "Skyscraper". She released her eponymous fourth album in 2013, which debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200, and contained the top-ten international song "Heart Attack". Lovato's fifth and sixth albums, '' Confident'' (2015) and '' Tell Me You Love Me'' (2017), infused soul and mature themes. She earned a Grammy Award nomination for ''Confident'', while " Sorry Not Sorry", the lead single from ''Tell Me You Love Me'', became her highest-charting single in the U.S., reaching number six. After a hiatus, her seventh album '' Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over'' followed in 2021, which reached number two in the U.S., and her eighth album, ''Holy Fvck'', released in 2022.

On television, Lovato has starred as the titular character on the sitcom ''Sonny with a Chance'' (2009–2011), served as a judge on the music competition series ''The X Factor USA'' for its second and third seasons, and appeared as a recurring character on the musical comedy ''Glee'' (2013–2014) and the sitcom ''Will & Grace'' (2020). She also starred in the television drama film ''Princess Protection Program'' (2009), the animated comedy film '' Smurfs: The Lost Village'' (2017), and the musical comedy '' Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga'' (2020).

Lovato has sold over 24 million records in the United States and has also received numerous accolades, including an MTV Video Music Award, 14 Teen Choice Awards, five People's Choice Awards, two Latin American Music Awards, a ''Guinness World Record'', and was included on the ''Time'' 100 annual list in 2017. An activist for several social causes, Lovato's struggles with an eating disorder and substance abuse have received considerable media attention, in response to which she published the self-help memoir ''Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year'' (2013) and released the documentaries '' Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated'' (2017) and '' Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil'' (2021).

Early life and career beginnings

Demetria Devonne Lovato was born on August 20, 1992, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Dianna De La Garza (née Lee Smith) and engineer and musician Patrick Martin Lovato. Lovato has an older full sister named Dallas; a younger maternal half-sister, actress Madison De La Garza; and an older paternal half-sister, Amber, whom Lovato first spoke to at age 20.

In mid-1994, shortly after Lovato's second birthday, her parents divorced. Her father was of Nuevomexicano descent, with mostly Spanish and Native American ancestors, and came from a family that had been living in New Mexico for generations; he also had distant Portuguese and Jewish ancestry. He was a descendant of Civil War Union veteran Francisco Perea and Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Xavier Chávez. Lovato had no interest in forging a relationship with Patrick after her parents divorced. Her mother is of English and Irish descent.

She has been vocal about her abusive and strained relationship with her father and once stated, "He was mean, but he wanted to be a good person. And he wanted to have his family, and when my mom married my stepdad, he still had this huge heart where he said, 'I'm so glad that e'staking care of you and doing the job that I wish I could do.'" After Patrick died of cancer on June 22, 2013, Lovato said that he had been mentally ill, and she created the Lovato Treatment Scholarship Program in his honor.

Lovato was brought up in Dallas, Texas. She began playing the piano at age seven and guitar at ten, when she began dancing and acting classes. In 2002, Lovato began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'', portraying the role of Angela. She appeared on ''Prison Break'' in 2006 and on ''Just Jordan'' the following year. Due to her acting career, Lovato was bullied and consequently requested homeschooling, through which she eventually received her high-school diploma.

Career

2007–2008: Breakthrough with ''Camp Rock'' and ''Don't Forget''

From 2007 to 2008, Lovato played Charlotte Adams on the Disney Channel short series ''As the Bell Rings''. Lovato auditioned for the channel's television film ''Camp Rock'' and series ''Sonny with a Chance'' during 2007 and got both roles. Lovato played the lead character, aspiring singer Mitchie Torres, in ''Camp Rock''. The film premiered on June 20, 2008, to 8.9 million viewers. Gillian Flynn of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote that Lovato's acting skills were underwhelming and that she has "the knee-jerk smile of someone who is often told she has a great smile". The film's soundtrack was released three days earlier; however, the music was considered less current than that of ''High School Musical''. It debuted at number three on the US ''Billboard'' 200, with 188,000 units sold in its first week of release. Lovato sang four songs on the soundtrack, including " We Rock" and " This Is Me". The latter, Lovato's debut single, debuted at number 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and later peaked at number nine, marking her first entry on the chart. That summer, Lovato signed with Hollywood Records and began her Demi Live! Warm Up Tour before the release of her debut studio album, and appeared on the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up Tour.

Lovato's debut studio album, ''Don't Forget'', released on September 23, 2008, and was met with generally positive reviews from critics. Michael Slezak of ''Entertainment Weekly'' said, "Demi Lovato might satisfy her 'tween fans but she won't be winning any rockers over with ''Don't Forget''". The album debuted at number two in the US, with first-week sales of 89,000 copies. Ten of its songs were co-written with the Jonas Brothers.

''Don't Forget'' was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for US sales of over 500,000 copies. Its lead single, "Get Back", was praised for its pop rock style and peaked at number 43 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also selling over 560,000 copies in the United States. The album's second single, "La La Land", was cited for its strong rock elements and peaked at number 52 in the US, and cracked the top 40 in Ireland and the United Kingdom. The music video for the song was directed by Brendan Malloy and Tim Wheeler. The third singleSources concerning the single release of "Don't Forget":
*
* and title track, "Don't Forget", peaked at number 41 in the US.

2009–2010: ''Sonny with a Chance'' and ''Here We Go Again''

Lovato's Disney Channel sitcom ''Sonny with a Chance'', in which she played Sonny Munroe, the newest cast member of the show-within-a-show ''So Random!'', premiered on February 8. Robert Lloyd of the ''Los Angeles Times'' described Lovato's acting ability as "very good", comparing her favorably to ''Hannah Montana'' star Miley Cyrus. That June, Lovato starred as Rosie Gonzalez / Princess Rosalinda in the Disney Channel film ''Princess Protection Program'', alongside Selena Gomez. The film, the fourth highest-rated Disney Channel original movie, premiered to 8.5 million viewers. For the film's soundtrack, the pair recorded the song "One and the Same", which was later released as a promotional single.

Lovato's second studio album, '' Here We Go Again'', was released on July 21, 2009; she described its acoustic style as similar to that of John Mayer. The album received favorable reviews from critics who appreciated its enjoyable pop-rock elements, echoing reviews of ''Don't Forget''. Lovato's first number-one album, it debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 108,000 copies, and was later certified Gold. The album's lead single and title track, " Here We Go Again", debuted at number 59 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and managed to peak at number 15, becoming Lovato's highest-charting solo single to that point. The song also peaked at number 68 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 38 in New Zealand. "Here We Go Again" was additionally certified Platinum in the US. The album's second and final single, "Remember December" failed to match the success of its predecessor, but peaked at number 80 on the UK Singles Chart. Lovato made her first 40-city national concert tour, Live in Concert, in support of ''Here We Go Again''. The tour, from June 21 to August 21, 2009, had David Archuleta, KSM, and Jordan Pruitt as opening acts. Lovato and Archuleta received the Choice Music Tour award at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards. Lovato was featured alongside the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez on the song " Send It On", a charity single and the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change. All proceeds from the song were donated to environmental charities supported by the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. Lovato recorded "Gift of a Friend" as a soundtrack for the Disney movie ''Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure''. The movie was released in October 2009.

In 2010, Lovato and Joe Jonas recorded "Make a Wave" as the second charity single for Disney's Friends for Change. That May, Lovato guest-starred as Hayley May, a teenager with schizophrenia, in the sixth-season ''Grey's Anatomy'' episode, "Shiny Happy People". Although critics praised her versatility, they were underwhelmed by her acting and felt that her appearance was designed primarily to attract viewers. Later that year, she headlined her first international tour, Demi Lovato: Live in Concert, and joined the Jonas Brothers: Live in Concert tour as a guest.

'' Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam'', with Lovato reprising her role as Mitchie Torres, premiered on September 3, 2010. Critics were ambivalent about the film's plot, and it has a 40-percent approval rating
on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Lovato's performance was called "dependably appealing" by Jennifer Armstrong of ''Entertainment Weekly''. The film premiered to eight million viewers, the number-one cable television movie of the year by the number of viewers. Its accompanying soundtrack was released on August 10 with Lovato singing nine songs, including "Can't Back Down" and " Wouldn't Change a Thing". The soundtrack debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 41,000 copies. Jonas Brothers: Live in Concert was reworked to incorporate Lovato and the rest of the film's cast; it began on August 7, two weeks later than planned. The ''Sonny with a Chance'' soundtrack was released on October 5; Lovato sang on four tracks, including " Me, Myself and Time". It debuted (and peaked) at number 163 on the ''Billboard'' 200, her lowest-selling soundtrack. In November 2010, Lovato announced her departure from ''Sonny with a Chance'', putting her acting career on hiatus and ending the series; she later said that she would return to acting when she felt confident doing so. Her departure led to the actual spin-off series ''So Random!'' with the ''Sonny'' cast, featuring sketches from the former show-within-a-show. The series was canceled after one season.

2011–2012: ''Unbroken'' and ''The X Factor''

Lovato released her third studio album, '' Unbroken'', on September 20, 2011. Begun in July 2010, the album experimented with R&B and featured less pop rock than her first two albums. Lyrically, ''Unbroken'' encompassed more mature themes as opposed to Lovato's previous works, with some songs focusing on her personal struggles. The album and its stylistic change received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Lovato's vocals and saw a growth in her musicianship due to the songs focusing on her struggles, but criticized the album's "party songs" and found the music to be more generic than her previous efforts. ''Unbroken'' debuted at number four in the US, selling 97,000 copies in its first week of release; it was later certified Gold.

"Skyscraper", the lead single from ''Unbroken'', was released on July 12, and was noted for its messages of self-worth and confidence. It debuted at number ten in the US, selling 176,000 downloads during the first week of release, becoming Lovato's highest first week sales at the time. The song also became Lovato's highest-charting single since " This Is Me" peaking at number nine in July 2008, and it also debuted at number two on the Hot Digital Songs chart. "Skyscraper" received the Best Video With a Message award at the September 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, and the track was also certified Platinum by the RIAA and Silver by the BPI. The album's second and final single, "Give Your Heart a Break", was released on January 23, 2012, and later peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 16, making Lovato's fourth highest-charting song to that point. It peaked at number 12 on the US Adult Top 40 chart and number one on the US Pop Songs chart. It also became the longest climb by a female artist to reach No. 1 in the Pop Songs chart history until 2019, when Halsey's feature on " Eastside" broke the record. The song was certified triple Platinum in the US; , "Give Your Heart a Break" has sold 2.1 million digital copies. ''Billboard'' has ranked the song as Lovato's best, calling it "timeless".

In May, Lovato became a judge and mentor for the second season of the U.S. version of ''The X Factor'', with a reported salary of one million dollars. Joining Britney Spears, Simon Cowell, and L.A. Reid, it was speculated that she was chosen to attract a younger audience. Mentoring the Young Adults category, her final act (CeCe Frey) finished sixth. At the Minnesota State Fair in August, Lovato announced that after a pre-show performance at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards she would release a single by December. On December 24, she released a video on her YouTube account of herself singing "Angels Among Us" dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In March, she was confirmed as returning for ''The X Factor''s third season, with her salary reportedly doubling.

2013–2014: ''Demi'' and ''Glee''

Lovato's fourth studio album, ''Demi'', was released on May 14, 2013. The album features influences of synthpop and bubblegum pop and was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. Although Jon Carmichael of ''The New York Times'' found Lovato's transition fun, according to ''Entertainment Weekly'' it signified a less mature image. The album debuted at number three in the US, with first-week sales of 110,000 copies, the best-selling debut week of Lovato's discography. It was also successful internationally, charting in the top ten in New Zealand, Spain and the UK. The album has been certified Gold in the US.

The lead single from ''Demi'', "Heart Attack", was released on February 25, and debuted at number 12 in the US, with first-week sales of 215,000 copies, the highest first week sales of Lovato's discography. The song peaked at number ten (Lovato's third top ten entry in the US), and was also successful in the UK, Australia, and Europe. The second single, "Made in the USA" peaked at number 80 in the US. The third and fourth singles from ''Demi'', " Neon Lights" and "Really Don't Care", both peaked in the top forty of the US, and at number one in the country's Dance Club Songs chart. She was also certified Platinum in the US.

Lovato later released a deluxe version of ''Demi'', which included seven new tracks, consisting of four live performances and three studio recordings. One of these songs was " Up", a collaboration with Olly Murs for his fourth studio album ''Never Been Better''. Lovato contributed to ''The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'' soundtrack album with " Heart by Heart".

On June 11, Lovato released an e-book, ''Demi'', on iBooks

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