Demi Lovato: I've dealt with depression and suicidal ideation since I was seven years old'

Demi Lovato joins Zane Lowe on Apple Music to discuss her new song with Marshmello “OK To Not Be OK”, released on World Suicide Prevention Day.

She tells Apple Music about her past struggles with depression and shares a message to those who are currently fighting it and discusses how she learned to stop chasing perfection. She also reveals that she has new music coming in the next month and shares how the events of 2020 have informed the forthcoming music.

Demi Lovato Tells Apple Music About Her Past Struggles With Depression and Shares Her Message To Those Who Are Currently Fighting It...

'I've dealt with depression and suicidal ideation since I was seven years old, and that's something that I've been very vocal about. I've talked about it for years. And so today, I don't take it lightly. I easily could have been someone that wasn't having this interview today. So, I'm grateful that I've had the support and the team around me to help me get through this time. And what I just want everyone else to know is that I've been there and you can get past it too. It can be very, very dark, but we have to remember that we can't seek permanent solutions for temporary problems, because life ebbs and flows. And just as happiness can be fleeting, sadness as well. So, we have to hold onto that hope, and we have to just keep fighting and powering through.'

'And because there's so many people, when you feel alone, you have to remember that there are actually so many people that care about you. So, you might just have to do a little digging. You might have to go through your phone and say, "Hey, who cares about me right now?" But you know what, there is someone in your phone that does care about you.'

'If anyone is out there struggling right now, just know that sometimes, the best thing that you can do is just get through the day. So, if you're struggling, just know that if I can make it through the day, you can make it through the day too. We're in this together, and I got you, and it will be okay.'

Demi Lovato Tells Apple Music About Her Growth Over The Past Two Years…

I feel like I've done a lot of growing this year. I've done a lot of growing over the past two years, specifically in this past year. I've done a lot of work on myself with meditation, with just doing more work with my therapist because I have more time to. It's just like it's worked out a lot and I'm really grateful.

Demi Lovato Tells Apple Music About Learning To Stop Chasing Perfection...

'I've had to do a lot of learning, a lot of trial and error myself. I spent years chasing perfection with my image and my body, and controlling my diet through eating disorders and things like that. And when I realized that perfection is unachievable, no matter who you are, you could literally be the most perfect-looking person on the planet, but there will still be something scientifically imperfect with you. It just doesn't... So, I had to learn that the hard way. As I started getting older, I just started looking at the years where I was younger and thinking, "Wow, I wasted so much time stressing about things that don't matter. And I wish I could get that time back.”'

'So, what I did is, I decided that I wasted enough of my life worrying and stressing about unimportant things. And now the rest of my life, I'm just going to care about the stuff that matters. I don't chase perfection anymore because I know it doesn't exist. And it's about finding a balance. Yeah, it's been a journey, but I feel like a lot of it comes with age, just learning. I don't know, I used to spend every minute of the day stressing, when I was 17, about what I looked like. And the reality is, I was like tiny little 17-year-old. I shouldn't have been stressing. I wish I could've just focused on soaking up my teenage years.'

Demi Lovato Tells Apple Music She Has New Music Coming In The Next Month or So…

'It's refreshing to get asked a question that I actually know the answer to, because there's been a lot of interviews or things lately where people are like, "Hey, when's your album coming out" or "when's your new music coming out?" And I just like, "I don't know." But finally, we have some stuff coming out in the next, definitely in the next month or… Ish. Yeah. Around there. Like I said, this is the beginning of it. And this is the upbeat, energetic vibe.'

Demi Lovato Tells Apple Music About Her Return To Music and How The Events of 2020 Impacted Her Goals With Her Music Moving Forward…

I'm a firm believer in go big or go home. So, I knew that if I was going to have my comeback, I wanted to do it right. And Scooter, being the best manager in the business, knew exactly how to help me out with that. So, I was super, super excited. But what I will tell you about is, earlier this year, I was focused on telling my story. When the pandemic hit and everything happened in 2020 that's been going on, I realized that it is not about me anymore. It is, I need to share music that speaks for more people than myself. Because I've been sharing my story for a long time, but it's time to switch gears and tell other stories that need to be heard.

Demi Lovato Tells Apple Music About Her New Song With Marshmello “OK To Not Be OK” and Previews More New Music…

'This song is obviously very important to me and I'm so excited, but I think even over the next couple of months, the music that I'll be releasing will be very purpose-driven. We'll definitely… I feel like what we've kind of missed in this year is music that kind of encapsulates everything that we're going through. And so, this I feel like is the touchstone of what I'm about to embark on, being a very purpose-driven journey, and especially with my music. So, it's great that I get to start it out light, and that I get to start it out in a way where I'm giving hope to people, by saying, you know what? We're not all doing great right now, and that's okay, and you're not alone.'

'Well, the song it was created about like a year ago, and he did a really great job of matching the production to the lyrics. Because in the verses, it gets kind of quiet or more vulnerable. And then on the choruses, it's more driven and it's more upbeat and energetic and it's like, it kind of provides you that escape that you need right now, that dance break that you're like, you know what? I'm not doing okay but I'm just going to forget it for this second, and we just dance and we dance. And it was really exciting to be able to create something with context. I feel like it's going to provide hope for people. And also, just really, it's really spot-on for a lot of people right now.'