| Holy Fvck | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Standard cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 19, 2022 | |||
| Studio | SuCasa (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:48 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer |
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| Demi Lovato chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Holy Fvck | ||||
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Holy Fvck is the eighth studio album by the American singerDemi Lovato, released on August 19, 2022, throughIsland Records. Primarily ahard rock andpop-punk record, Lovato conceived it as a return to the early rock-influenced sound from her first two studio albums,Don't Forget (2008) andHere We Go Again (2009). The lyrical themes explore Lovato's sexual identity with religious undertones.
Most of the album was produced byWarren "Oak" Felder, Alex Niceforo, and Keith "Ten4" Sorrells, with additional production fromMitch Allan on three tracks.Yungblud,Royal & the Serpent, andDead Sara appear as featured artists. The album's lead single, "Skin of My Teeth", was released on June 10, 2022. "Substance" and "29" followed as the second and third singles respectively; the latter became the album's only song to chart on the USBillboard Hot 100. To promoteHoly Fvck, Lovato embarked on theHoly Fvck Tour throughout North America and South America between August and November 2022. A promotional poster of the album and tour was banned in the United Kingdom by theAdvertising Standards Authority for allegedly causing offence toChristians.
Upon its release,Holy Fvck received positive reviews from music critics, appearing in year-end lists of the best music from 2022. Commercially, it peaked at number seven in the United States and the United Kingdom, while also reaching the top 20 in the Flanders region of Belgium, Portugal, Scotland, and Spain. Additionally, the album debuted atop the USTop Alternative Albums andTop Rock Albums charts. ForHoly Fvck, Lovato received a nomination at the34th GLAAD Media Awards forOutstanding Music Artist.
Demi Lovato first considered the kind of music she wished to make for her eighth studio album in 2021, following the release ofAin't It Tragic by the Americanrock bandDead Sara that year. She remarked that "it reignited this flame inside of me. I was like, 'I want to do rock music.' I saw them on tour and was super stoked about their music and was just like, 'That's what I want to go back to.' It felt right to me because I hadn't done it in a while. I wanted to return to my roots."[1]
In January 2022, Lovato posted onInstagram that she held a "funeral" for her formerpop music, with a picture of Lovato with label and management executives all wearing black and Lovato holding up two middle fingers.[2] This was later clarified to be a music label meeting and the fact everyone was wearing black was simply a coincidence, but Lovato had felt it was symbolic of a change in direction that her music was taking.[3] In the months following this event, Lovato enthusiastically shared various snippets of a more rock sound on her social media, with "crashing guitars, soaring vocals and cutting lyrics".[4][5] In an interview withRolling Stone in February 2022, Lovato confirmed a return to "emo-rock" that was "reminiscent of my first era".[6] Lovato clarified, however, that her new studio album would differ from her debut albumDon't Forget (2008), in that it has a "heaviness" not lyrically, but "heaviness as in some of the sound that I haven't done before".[6] Lovato also spoke toInked, confirming her new album is "definitely notR&B orsoulful, I would say it's more rock than anything" and that it was inspired bypunk rock musicians that Lovato was currently listening to, such asRoyal & the Serpent andTurnstile.[5]
On Instagram stories in April 2022, the singer confirmed her upcoming album to reflect on "the artist's ups and downs during her personal journey". Lovato further explained, "getting emotional listening to my new album because I'm so proud of it", as well as labeling it her "absolute best yet and so representative of me, where I started and who I am today".[7] At this point, a lead single was just "weeks away" per Lovato's communication with fans.[8] Lovato finally confirmed the lead single would be titled "Skin of My Teeth" on May 23, 2022, indirectly through a short tweet that was responding to fan speculation.[9] A few days later, Lovato officially announced the song's release and shared the cover art for the single.[10] Lovato announced the album with its cover art and release date on June 6, 2022, with a link to her official store where fans could order physical copies of the record.[11]
A press release indicated that the album would include sixteen tracks[12] and included a statement from Lovato, who shared:
"The process of making this album has been the most fulfilling yet, and I'm grateful to my fans and collaborators for being on this journey with me. Never have I been more sure of myself and my music, and this record speaks that for itself. To my Lovatics who have been rocking out with me since the beginning and those who are just now coming along for the ride, thank you. This record is for you."[12]
Holy Fvck is seen to be a sonic shift for Lovato, and has been described as ahard rock andpop punk album,[13][14] featuring elements ofheavy metal and various rock styles.[14][15] Regarding her decision to revert to a rock-based sound, Lovato said "Back when I worked onDisney Channel, I knew I could go this hard, but it wasn't until recently that I felt like I could accomplish this sound." She further stated "I've had a lot of anger since coming out of treatment. These new songs are about taking the power back and owning my anger — something I pushed aside for years, because I thought it would make me less spiritual."[16]
One lyrical theme of the album was of a religious undertone, which Lovato toldBritishVogue "just came out in the writing process. I wanted to take my power back. I grew up in the church as aChristian, and I had some anger towards it. Beingqueer, I definitely felt like I was misunderstood." Lovato also referred toHoly Fvck as her most authentic album to date, and that she felt proud of her previous work but "it didn't make me feel very happy. There was always this kind of emptiness that I felt, because I was trying to be someone that I wasn't. Now, I identify asnon-binary, so when I say, 'Would you like me better if I was still her,' it's also a reference to people wanting me to stay who they wanted me to be in their eyes."[1]
Holy Fvck's opening track "Freak", featuring British singerYungblud, features "carnivalesquegoth-rock guitars and bursts ofindustrialglam andhardcore, finds Lovato bewailing her status as a "piece of meat" carved up for entertainment" featuring the lyrics "came for the trauma, stayed for the drama".[14] "Skin of My Teeth" was compared byNPR to the sound of "Celebrity Skin" byHole with the vocal affectations of "Born This Way" byLady Gaga;[17] and was praised byLoudwire for tackling addiction, while describing it as having "an immediate sense of urgency, opening with two snare hits and some chord strumming" after which Lovato begins to sing in a sardonic vocal tone.[18]
Third track and second single "Substance" was described by Emily Zemler ofRolling Stone as a "raucous", "anthemic pop-punk" song,[19] featuring Lovato singing loudly over guitars and drums inspired by the earlier years of punk music.[20] The lyrics present in the song are a direct criticism of contemporary society, as well as evoking Lovato's previous drug-related problems and mental health problems.[21][22] "Eat Me", featuringRoyal & the Serpent, is the album's fourth track, and was compared by Beaumont to "Muse's more grindingsynth-rock" and "swivels the target from herself to the industry that shackled her to their lucrative expectations. "Be more predictable, be less political, not too original, keep the tradition but stay individual," she groans, listingA&R notes before kicking back on a power punk chorus: "I know the girl that you adored, she's dead, it's time to fucking mourn… you'll have to eat me as I am."[14]USA Today further compared "Eat Me" to the music ofNine Inch Nails, which sees Lovato and Royal & the Serpent "tiptoe in on a creeping goth vibe before the song explodes into a fireball of anger".[23]
The fifth track is the album's title track, with Callie Ahlgrim ofInsider Inc. calling it "a solid, throaty head-banger", with lyrics of "biblical imagery" which "alludes to sex so good that it feels sacred".[24] Sixth track "29" was described by James Hall ofThe Daily Telegraph as "a soaring slab of radio-friendly rock",[25] and features lyrics referring to age gaps in relationships, with media speculation that Lovato's ex-boyfriendWilmer Valderrama is the subject of the song, although Lovato did not directly confirm this.[26][27] "Happy Ending" was described by Beaumont as "a rousing slab of grunge pop soul-searching" with Lovato confessing that "I miss my vices", "demons are calling and tearing me to shreds".[14]
The eighth track "Heaven" is an "industrial goth-rock"[16] song which features a "glam drumbeat" and was likened by Hall to "sound[ing] like a mash-up betweenthe Sweet andMegadeth",[25] In an interview withLos Angeles Times, Lovato states that the song's lyrics are "actually based on aBible verse" further explaining "Matthew 5:30 says, 'If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off; [for] it's better to lose one part of your body than your entire body to hell.' That was a Bible verse I heard since I was young — too young to know whatmasturbation was. And now, I have my own [line of]sex toys. Masturbation can be a form of self-care, it's not something to be ashamed of at all."[citation needed] "City of Angels" isHoly Fvck's ninth track, and was compared by Beaumont to the music ofAvril Lavigne andBlink-182, with sexual innuendo-based lyrics featuring "Lovato imagin[ing] "christening" a wide array ofLos Angeles landmarks fromthe Viper Room toSplash Mountain".[14] Tenth track "Bones" was said by Hannah Mylrea ofNME to be "a mosh-pit inducing mating call" which incorporates "throbbingRoyal Blood riffs and Lovato's purred chorus that begins with the no-nonsense declaration "Let me jump your bones"".[28]
"Come Together", the album's twelfth track, is apop rock song which "excellently blends the singer's two most prominent sounds into an explosion of euphoric expression. A masterclass in using production to your advantage, the song leans back when it needs to in order to let a blast of joyful noise wash over you on the infectious chorus."[15] "Dead Friends", the thirteenth track, is a "banging pop punkjam session, filled with fast guitars and plenty of double-time drum patterns";[15] and was said by Lovato in an interview with BritishVogue to have originally been "a slower song, but I ended up turning it into a faster one. I wanted to pay homage to the friends that I missed, while keeping it upbeat and a feel-good homage to them."[1] The fifteenth track "Feed" "starts as apiano ballad, cataloging "scars I've caused and scars I've earned," before it bursts into a raw celebration of self-actualization and determination. "I decide which one to feed" becomes a simple yet persuasive mantra in the midst of chaos."[24] "4 Ever 4 Me" isHoly Fvck's sixteenth and final track, a love song which was likened by Olivia Horn ofPitchfork to the music of theGoo Goo Dolls, which "wraps Lovato inacoustic chords and bittersweet strings as they sing to a new partner about wanting to meet his mother".[29]
The album announcement was supported by the release of an album trailer on June 6, 2022, with a snippet of "Skin of My Teeth" serving as the background music to a series of clips of Lovato creating the album in the studio.[30] The trailer ends with a snippet of "Freak", with the lyrics "Get your tickets to the freak show baby, step right up to watch the freak go crazy".[31] Lovato premiered "Skin of My Teeth" on June 9 with a performance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[32] During her interview on the show, Lovato revealed thatHoly Fvck contains three collaborations.[32] A second single, "Substance", was released on July 15, 2022.[33] Lovato premiered the song onJimmy Kimmel Live! on July 14[34] and announced the track listing for the album that day.[35] According toBillboard, the song "29" would be released as the album's third single. Upon posting a snippet onTikTok, fans speculated that the lyrics are a reference to ex-boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama.[36] The song was officially released on August 17, 2022.[37] Internationally, three alternative versions of the album were made available from Lovato's online store; each new version features the same track listing but an alternative cover-art for the album.[38]
On June 7, 2022, Lovato officially announced her seventh concert tour, theHoly Fvck Tour, to promote the album.[39] The 34-date tour began on August 13 inSpringfield, Illinois, and concluded on November 10 inRosemont, Illinois. Americanhard rock bandDead Sara and American singer-songwriterRoyal & the Serpent were opening acts for the last leg of the tour.[40]
In the UK, a poster promoting the tour and album was banned by theAdvertising Standards Agency (ASA). The 2023 ruling stated that the use of imagery which depicted Lovato in abondage outfit on acrucifix-shaped mattress evokedChristian religious imagery, according to the report Lovato was "in a position with her legs bound to one side which was reminiscent ofChrist on the cross" and was likely to cause offence toChristians along with the title of the albumHoly Fvck.[41] The latter was said to be easily interpreted by most adults as a swear word, and the poster was also used in areas that were easily accessed by children. The ASA ruled that the poster could not be used again in that format, "unless it was suitably targeted".[41]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10[42] |
| Metacritic | 78/100[43] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [44] |
| The Arts Desk |  [45] |
| Clash | 7/10[46] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [25] |
| The Independent | [14] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[47] |
| NME | [28] |
| Pitchfork | 6.5/10[29] |
| Sputnikmusic | [48] |
Holy Fvck received generally positive reviews from music critics. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from publications, the album received aweighted average score of 78, based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[43]
Writing forThe Independent, Mark Beaumont reviewed the album positively, describingHoly Fvck as "a horny, hard-rock rebirth album" and as "a classic shedding-the-pop-facade record, bristling with defiance and real-me rebirth".[14] George Griffiths ofOfficial Charts Company called it "a dark and dangerous collection of high-throttle pop-punk stompers which contain some really genuine, heartbreaking lyrical revelations."[49]Clash's review of the album by Emily Swingle remarked that "riling with a dark punk-rock attitude, this is an album that thrives in its heaviness, searing with venom and gloriously bold. Truly proving Lovato as a multi-faceted force to be reckoned with, [Holy Fvck] is a howl of brilliance."[46]Insider Inc.'s Callie Ahlgrim added the album and its songs to the list of the biggest snubs of the2023 Grammys nominations.[50]
In a review fromPitchfork, Olivia Horn awarded the album a 6.5 out of 10 rating and wrote that it is "genuinely exciting to see Lovato enter chaos mode onHoly Fvck, opting to break shit rather than publicly mend herself" and "within the anger, there's plenty of room for humor and irreverence", complimenting "Substance", "29" and Lovato's vocals. Horn also noted that "at times Lovato pushes the irreverence to the extreme", referencing the album's artwork and some of the songs' sexual lyrics, and that "by the album's midpoint, you start to wish for just a little more subtlety".[29] GivingHoly Fvck three stars out of five,NME contributor Hannah Mylrea was also mixed. Mylrea praised "Substance" and the "saucy" "City of Angels" as "cantering pop-punk moments", and Lovato's "powerhouse vocals" which "shine throughout, dripping with emotion and demonstrating impressive gymnastics" and was critical of the "slower, saccharine cuts such as 'Happy Ending', '4 Ever 4 Me' and 'Wasted'" and the length of the album's track list.[28]
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| AllMusic | Favorite Pop Albums of 2022 | Unranked | [51] |
| Alternative Press | The Best Albums of 2022 | Unranked | [52] |
| Billboard | The 20 Best Pride Albums of 2022 | Unranked | [53] |
| The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 39 | [54] | |
| PopMatters | The 80 Best Albums of 2022 | 71 | [55] |
| Riff Magazine | The 67 Best Albums of 2022 | 23 | [56] |
| Rolling Stone | Brittany Spanos's Top 10 Albums of 2022 | 10 | [57] |
| Award | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLAAD Media Awards | 2023 | Outstanding Music Artist | Nominated | [58] |
Holy Fvck debuted at number 7 on the USBillboard 200, including number 1 on theTop Alternative Albums andTop Rock Albums charts, marking both Lovato's first entry onto these charts with 33,000album-equivalent units (of which 20,000 were pure album sales), marking Lovato's eighth consecutive top-ten album in the country.[59] On theUK Albums Chart, the album also opened at number 7, with 6,488 units sold in the first week.[60]
All songs were written byDemi Lovato,Warren "Oak" Felder, Alex Niceforo and Keith "Ten4" Sorrells. All songs were produced by Oak and co-produced Alex Nice and Keith "Ten4" Sorrells. Additional writers and producers given below.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Freak" (featuringYungblud) | Chris Greatti[a] | 2:36 | |
| 2. | "Skin of My Teeth" |
| 2:42 | |
| 3. | "Substance" |
| 2:40 | |
| 4. | "Eat Me" (featuringRoyal & the Serpent) |
| 3:00 | |
| 5. | "Holy Fvck" |
| 2:34 | |
| 6. | "29" |
| 2:43 | |
| 7. | "Happy Ending" |
| Allan | 3:49 |
| 8. | "Heaven" |
| 2:27 | |
| 9. | "City of Angels" |
| Allan | 2:51 |
| 10. | "Bones" | 2:31 | ||
| 11. | "Wasted" |
| 3:03 | |
| 12. | "Come Together" |
| 3:33 | |
| 13. | "Dead Friends" |
| 2:57 | |
| 14. | "Help Me" (withDead Sara) |
| 3:23 | |
| 15. | "Feed" | 3:13 | ||
| 16. | "4 Ever 4 Me" |
| Allan | 3:43 |
| Total length: | 47:48 | |||
Notes
Obtained from Lovato's official website.[61]
Performers and musicians
Production
| Design and marketing
|
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end chart[edit]
|
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | August 19, 2022 | Island | [81] | |
| September 30, 2022 | Cassette | [82] |
Demi Lovato has long sung about rebirth. On Holy Fvck, she enacts it by jettisoning the pop-R&B palette that has defined her records for a decade.
On Wednesday, Lovato released her intense single, "29," in which she sings about a 12-year age gap with an ex.
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Remix albums | |
| Singles |
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| Featured singles | |
| Promotional singles | |
| Other songs | |
| Concerts and tours | |
| Related articles | |
