Demi Lovato is impressive on many fronts. She’s a Noughties Disney tween star who’s become an outspoken activist in an America where it’s increasingly dangerous to be one. She’s lived a rollercoaster ride of a life, rampantly exploring sexuality, drink and drugs amid chaos, abuse and serious mental health calamities, and she’s overcome the worst of it.
Alongside all that, unlike most of her Disney child star peers, she’s maintained a successful career, both as a film and TV actor, and as a singer who, for well over a decade-and-a-half, has consistently taken her albums Top 10 in the UK and US. On her last album, she “went rock” (Slash is a pal) but her latest, her ninth, is an unabashed dance-pop affair, full of dancefloor lust.
It's Not That Deep is co-written and produced by Zhone, who’s worked with Zara Larsson, Kesha and Troye Zivan, and has input from Leland who’s in-house songwriter for RuPaul’s Drag Race. Put those two references together, and you’ll have a good idea what these 11 tracks sound like. Another pertinent comparison would be Charli XCX. This is very much post-Brat pop, especially Euro-pumpin’ bangers such as “Frequency” and the single “Kiss”.
The lyrics throughout, as the album’s title genially suggests, don’t attempt to go beyond fun and flirty frolics: “I kiss for fun, it’s fun to kiss, I use my tongue like this”, “I just wanna feel your hands all over me, right where they wanna be”, “What if we touch a little bit… undress a little bit”, and so on. Most of this action, it’s implied, is taking place in a club, although there are slower interludes of Year Eight-level love-pining such as “Before I Knew You” and “Let You Go”.
It’s Not That Deep is well-rendered four-to-the-floor froth that, should you play it loudly, will turn your room into the local cheesy-but-bangin’ LGBT club.
Below: Watch the video for "Kiss" by Demi Lovato
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