It’s a big day for Demi Lovato. The singer released their brand new track “Skin of My Teeth” on Friday (June 10) and with it came the return of Lovato’s rock n’ roll sound. The 29-year-old appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 9 to discuss the new track, her forthcoming eighth studio album Holy Fvck, and the unique way she writes songs.
Fallon was excited to chat about the tune, calling it a “heavy” song that’s “rock n’ roll.” Lovato agreed, and said the track is “definitely a change of pace for me, but I’m also going back to my roots because that’s what I started singing when I released my first album and my second album [Don’t Forget and Here We Go Again].”
The singer also delved into what inspired them to start making the record and told Fallon that the album is the truest they have been to their personality.
“I’ve definitely been through a ton, that’s not secret to the world. After going through even more stuff last year, I came out of treatment again and I realized, I really want to do this for myself and I want to make the best album possible, something that really represent who I am,” Lovato explained. “The best way to do that and the easiest way to do something the most authentic is to do it clean and sober. I made this album clean and sober. I can’t say that about my last album, but this one, I’m really, really proud about.”
After confirming that there are a total of three collaborations on the album — they did not reveal who’s set to feature on Holy Fvck — Lovato detailed their songwriting process that they picked up from John Mayer early on in their career as a musician.
“Years ago we wrote — when I was making my second album, I think? — he said something about creating songs from the song titles,” she recalled. “He thinks that would be the most intriguing, so I kind of took that and when making my last couple albums, I really learned how to write songs from the song titles, and I come up with concept idea from the song titles, and that’s how I write my music.”
Following the interview, Lovato delivered the debut television performance of “Skin of My Teeth,” a brash and bold track that confronts the personal struggles she’s experienced while living in the public eye. Taking to the stage with a four-piece band in tow, Lovato stepped up to the mic, guitar in hand, and sang in her signature belt.
“I’m alive by the skin of my teeth/ I survived, but it got harder to breathe/ Askin’ why doesn’t make it easier/ Go easier on me/ Godd–n it, I just wanna be free/ But I can’t ’cause it’s a f–kin’ disease/ I’m alive by the skin of my,” they sing on the chorus.
Holy Fvck will be released on Aug. 19. Watch Lovato’s interview with Fallon and performance of “Skin of My Teeth” below.
