Okay, so this article may not be for everyone but hey, that's social media for you! I'll only pass slight judgement if you have no clue who Demi Lovato is, but just to be fair: Demi Lovato is a 24-year-old singer/songwriter/actress who got her start on the Disney Channel (well, actually Barney and Friends, but her stardom didn't soar until her Disney days). You may remember her as Mitchie, star of the 2008 DCOM Camp Rock, or you may remember her as the wide-eyed new girl Sonny on Sonny With A Chance.
Although these roles shot Demi into stardom, if you ask someone on the street about what Demi Lovato is known for, they most likely will give you an answer of "didn't she go to rehab for depression and cutting?" The answer is yes, she did, but after that she became a powerful voice for mental health awareness. Since her release in 2011, Demi has become a force to be reckoned with when it comes to mental health (and singing too, but we'll discuss that later). She has advocated for making treatment more accessible for the public, while simultaneously fighting to remove the stigma around mental illness. She has been upfront with her fans about her struggles and dark nature of her time with Disney, and she's unapologetic about it all. During her shows (I've attended three of them and she's done this on each tour) she will speak to the audience about either her struggles (she did this on her earlier tours,on her more recent ones she hasn't spoken directly about her struggles) or the importance of mental health awareness. On her recent summer tour, she teamed up with the CAST center to give fans the chance to experience a talk with guests about mental health awareness, treatment, and what they could do to help others who are struggling. She literally brought mental health treatment on the road with her, to every stop on her tour. How amazing is that? That's called being an advocate, a role model, and a bad ass human. I have seen numerous people on twitter try to "call out" Demi and say that she can be "problematic" (which I'm not even sure if those people understand how that word is supposed to be used) when Demi simply tweets about the stuff that's on her mind. She tweets about things that matter, and in the process she calls out other celebrities for not using their voice (yes, this tweet was directed at Taylor Swift, you can't tell me otherwise). I mean, don't we all want to do that sometimes? Don't you ever want to call out your friend for saying sexist things? or racist things, or just doing stupid things? Demi does that and people hate on her for it? If anything, she should get more respect for doing the things we all want to do. She's teaching everyone (and especially younger girls) that your voice matters, and to speak up against injustices. She is encouraging young girls/women to love their bodies in a world where being a size two is reason for celebration. She has been apart of an anti-bullying campaign for years. How can someone be mad at her for that? A question I may never find an answer to.
In 2010 when Demi entered rehab for her treatment, everyone speculated if she would ever return to Hollywood. While she has only dabbled in television since her return (She was on the US version of the X Factor, a stint on Glee, and alongside Wilmer Valderrama in From Dusk Till Dawn) the girl STUNNED the music scene. Before you read any further, go listen to Fix A Heart, Warrior, or Stone Cold and try to tell me they aren't masterpieces; that's right you can't. Every performance this woman gives is phenomenal. It's layered with passion, skill, and amazing vocals. She gives her all into any performance, and I'm still wondering why this woman doesn't have a Grammy yet. Her vocal abilities get better and better, and her song covers are executed perfectly. She is an A-list vocalist and she has earned that title, she has had many a successful tour, all of her albums are certified (at least) gold in the US. Any music critic in the world would look at Demi and say she is a very successful artist, and she does a hell of job. Of course, this is just what me (and about 80% of the world) think of Demi, but feel free to listen to her albums, listen to her live performances and get back to me, I'll be waiting!
Look at this beautiful human being.
