26 March 2018 (gig)
28 March 2018
In a world of so called musical "divas" (a term that is just so overused), Demi Lovato has never fit the "diva" mold. While she has long broken away from her "Disney" days, Lovato has put out six albums worth of some top notch pop songs. And she is not just content to sing and ring in the profits - as she has been an advocate for such issues as education, mental health, and is also the ambassador of an anti bullying campaign, called "Mean Stinks" - making Lovato anything but a "diva!" Her openness about her own body issues and other struggles makes her one of the best role-models in pop culture today.
Currently on a co-headlining tour (with disc jockey extraordinaire and record producer, DJ Khaled), Lovato preformed Monday March 26, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Opening with the ballad, "You Don't Do It for Me Anymore," a self-explanatory break up tune - which was the first of ten songs (if you include the deluxe edition of the record) Lovato performed for her most recent (and critically lauded) album, "Tell Me You Love Me." The follow up, "Daddy Issues," an R&B fused joint about an over-the-top obsession with a, presumably, older man. With lyrics as "Don't know how to commit/But I might want your kid/and after our first kiss/Got your name on my wrist," it digs into some darker than normal areas for Lovato. A video of Lovato in a therapists office played before the song began, (which saw Lovato playing the part of both the doctor and patient) was brought to life as she started singing "Daddy Issues" while lying down on a psychiatrists couch on the stage.
After resurrecting her 2015 smash, "Cool for the Summer" (where her very active backup dancers first made their appearance) and the lust filled "Sexy Dirty Love" (one of her most sensual songs, with a mix of desire and guilt, as she croons, "Lord knows I am sinning, please forgive me for my lust"), led into an abbreviated "Heart Attack," before venturing back to the smash, “Give Your Heart a Break," from 2011's "Unbroken" CD.
At this point in the show, Lovato moved her location to a stage that was at the opposite end of the arena. The stage consisted mostly of a huge bed and she donned an electric guitar to play some rhythm chords on the provocative “Concentrate," which went into the calamitous, “Cry Baby." Being the open and real person she is, Lovato had a confessional moment where she talked about the solitude she felt being on tour and that a "25 year old" should not be feeling such loneliness, before launching into a steamy take on "Lonely."
Returning to the main stage, she recreated her Spanish speaking duet "Échame la culpa," with Luis Fonsi (via his presence on video). While the song was a minor hit in the US, it was massively popular overseas and even topped the charts in such countries as Spain, Austria, Slovenia, and Lebanon.
Brandishing a piano, Lovato played a trio of songs at the keyboards (Elton John style), which created the most poignant moment of the night when she spoke of her deceased dad and the song she had written for him, "Father." While she stated that she had intended this to be a one time only studio creation (as the subject matter is extremely personal) and did not intend to perform it live, she bravely soldiered through the touching balled.
A two song encore started with "Sorry, Not Sorry," Lovatos highest charting US single ever (topping out at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart). A post break-up anthem (in the vein of "I Will Survive," lyrically, not musically), as Lovatos faithful screamed out lines as "Payback is a bad b---h/And baby, I'm the baddest, “ before the show closing, and confetti filled, "Tell Me You Love Me, ending a tremendous performance from one of pop musics most glistening talents.
DJ Khaled, Lovatos co-conspirator on this tour, showed why he is one of the todays better MC's. While It would have been great to have seen him spend a little more time behind the turntables (as he has great skills as a DJ, and only spun some music for a minute or two), he definitely proved he has major competence in hyping-up a crowd.
