Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over is recovery as narrative. Heavy, confessional, and emotionally exposed, the album documents Demi Lovato at her most vulnerable, using music as testimony rather than transformation. It’s sincere, but emotionally dense.
Sonically, the record blends pop, ballads, R&B, and soft pop-rock with polished, restrained production. The sound is clean and accessible, but often conventional, prioritizing clarity over experimentation. Many tracks lean into familiar structures, giving the album a safe, sometimes predictable tone.
Lyrically, the project centers on addiction, trauma, survival, relapse, healing, and accountability. Demi writes with brutal honesty and emotional directness, making the album feel more like a diary than a crafted concept. The vulnerability is powerful, but sometimes overwhelming and one-dimensional in focus.
The 3.28 rating reflects emotional importance with artistic limitation. The album is meaningful and brave, but its heavy subject matter, uneven pacing, and lack of sonic identity reduce replay value. Some tracks feel essential, others feel like extensions of the same emotional moment.
Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over stands as one of Demi Lovato’s most personal works. Honest, raw, and necessary for her story, but more impactful as documentation than as a cohesive musical experience.
Favorite Track: Mad World
Skip Track: Good Place
Disclaimer: This Is my opinion based on personal taste and emotions.
The skip tracks are not bad songs but just songs that are less memorable.
Dancing With the Devil…The Art of Starting Over
Album by Demi Lovato
Released 1 April 2021
Tracklist
- 1Anyone3:473.7 ★
- 2Dancing With the Devil4:033.8 ★
- 3ICU (Madison’s Lullabye)3:163.5 ★
- 4Intro0:261.0 ★
- 5The Art of Starting Over2:473.6 ★
- 6Lonely People2:402.6 ★
- 7The Way You Don’t Look at Me2:282.9 ★
- 8Melon Cake3:322.9 ★
- 9Met Him Last Nightfeat. Ariana Grande3:243.8 ★
- 10What Other People SaySam Fischer & Demi Lovato3:142.6 ★
- 11Carefully3:112.8 ★
- 12The Kind of Lover I Am3:092.9 ★
- 13EasyDemi Lovato & Noah Cyrus3:283.3 ★
- 1415 Minutes2:512.6 ★
- 15My Girlfriends Are My Boyfriendfeat. Saweetie3:073.4 ★
- 16California Sober3:052.9 ★
- 17Mad World3:024.0 ★
- 18Butterfly2:373.0 ★
- 19Good Place3:042.5 ★
More by Demi Lovato
Release credits
- assistant [3]
- assistant [17], programming [17]
- pedal steel guitar [7]
- co [16], guitar [16], keyboard [8, 16], producer [16], strings [16]
- guest [9]
- background vocals [10]
- engineer [13], task [13]
- background vocals [2]
- recording [9]
- recording [3]
- recording [3]
- engineer [7, 11], guitar [2], programming [2], recording [17-18]
- background vocals [5-6, 11-12]
- cello [10]
- background vocals [10]
- violin [10]
- producer [9]
- bass [10]
- cello [13], strings [13], viola [13], violin [13]
- assistant [15]
- violin [10]
- violin [10]
- producer [1]
- background vocals [6], spoken vocals [3-4], vocal [1-3, 5-19]
- background vocals [10]
- viola [10]
- bass [8], drums (drum set) [7-8], guitar [7-8, 19], keyboard [7-8, 19], producer [7-8, 19], programming [19], recording [7, 19]
- mix [8, 12]
- background vocals [10]
- bass [13], drums (drum set) [13]
- assistant [10]
- assistant [15]
- violin [10]
- mix [15]
- mix [2, 7, 9, 11]
- mix [10]
- bass [7], guitar [7], keyboard [7], producer [7]
- background vocals [6, 12]
- violin [10]
- background vocals [10]
- bass [16], co [16], drums (drum set) [8, 16], guitar [8, 16], producer [16]
- engineer [2]
- background vocals [11], producer [11, 18], programming [11], synthesizer [18]
- mix [1], recording [1], task [1]
- background vocals [10]
- piano [17]
- background vocals [15]
- spoken vocals [3]
- mix [5-6]
- background vocals [11], bass [11], drums (drum set) [11, 18], guitar [11, 18], producer [11, 18], programming [18]
- mix [13-14, 16, 18-19]
- assistant [8]
- keyboard [13], producer [13], recording [13], strings [13], task [13]
- keyboard [2], piano [2], programming [2]
- assistant [15]
- bass [2, 17], guitar [2, 17], keyboard [2], mix [3, 17], percussion [2, 17], producer [2, 17], programming [2, 17], recording [4], task [2-3, 7, 9-11, 17-18]
- viola [10]
- vocal [13]
- background vocals [6, 12], bass [6, 14-16], drums (drum set) [6, 8, 15-16], keyboard [5-6, 8, 12, 14-16], producer [5-6, 12, 14, 16], recording [5-6, 8, 12, 14-15], task [5-6, 8, 12, 14-16, 19]
- guitar [10]
- strings [9]
- piano [3], producer [3]
- producer [15], programming [15]
- drums (drum set) [15]
- recording [10]
- strings [13]
- background vocals [10], bass [10], drums (drum set) [10], keyboard [10], percussion idiophone [10], producer [10], programming [10]
- background vocals [10], vocal [10]
- cello [10]
- guest [15]
- recording [10]
- mix [2, 7, 9, 11]
- background vocals [10]
- producer [9]
- co [16], producer [16]
- background vocals [6, 12], bass [5, 12, 14], co [5-6, 12, 14], guitar [5-6, 12, 14], keyboard [6, 14], producer [5-6, 12, 14]
- background vocals [10]
- background vocals [6, 12], co [5-6, 12, 14], drums (drum set) [5-6, 12, 14], producer [5-6, 12, 14]
Issues
DDigital Media (expanded edition - explicit, iTunes)1 April 2021
DDigital Media (expanded edition - clean, iTunes)1 April 2021
DDigital Media (explicit, iTunes)2 April 2021
DCD (Target exclusive)2 April 2021
DDigital Media (clean)2 April 2021
DCD (exclusive cover 1)2 April 2021
DCD (exclusive cover 2)2 April 2021
DCD (exclusive cover 3)2 April 2021
DCD (explicit)2 April 2021
DCD (UK exclusive)2 April 2021
DCassette (exclusive cover 1)2 April 2021
DCassette (exclusive cover 2)2 April 2021
DCassette (exclusive cover 3)2 April 2021
DDigital Media (explicit, Spotify)2 April 2021
DDigital Media (clean, Spotify)2 April 2021
DDigital Media (expanded edition - explicit, Spotify)2 April 2021
DDigital Media (expanded edition - clean, Spotify)2 April 2021- DCD (explicit)2 April 2021
DDigital Media (expanded edition - explicit, Deezer)2 April 2021
DDigital Media (explicit, Deezer)2 April 2021
D2 April 2021
DDigital Media (Dolby Atmos mix, clean)2 April 2021
DDigital Media (Dolby Atmos mix, explicit)2 April 2021- D2 April 2021
DDigital Media (deluxe edition - explicit, Spotify)5 April 2021
DDigital Media (deluxe version - explicit, Deezer)5 April 2021
DDigital Media (deluxe edition - explicit, iTunes)5 April 2021- D2021