Demi Lovato made one helluva comeback at the Grammy Awards this year. A lone piano, the beleaguered pop star stormed through her new single with such an ache that could move mountains. “Anyone” cracks with the plea of someone teetering on the edge – in fact, the song was written four days before last summer’s overdose.
“I feel stupid when I sing / Nobody’s listening to me,” she barely squeaks out. On the recording, which is also her original vocal, her heart is battered, bruised, and purple. “Confided into alcohol / I tried and tried and tried some more,” she confides. Therein lies the devastating reality of what it means to be a superstar with no safety net or support system – you begin to wonder how things would have been differently for the likes of Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse and countless other tortured artists.
“Lord is there anyone?” Lovato leaves the listener with a question for the ages. To which I ask: is there any humanity left?
Listen to “Anyone” below.