Dancing with the Devil (song)

For the Krewella song, see Get Wet (Krewella album).

"Dancing with the Devil"
Single by Demi Lovato
from the album Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over
ReleasedMarch 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)[1]
Length4:04
3:08 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mitch Allan
Demi Lovato singles chronology
"What Other People Say"
(2021) 		"Dancing with the Devil"
(2021) 		"Met Him Last Night"
(2021)
Music video
"Dancing with the Devil" on YouTube

"Dancing with the Devil" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato. It was released on March 26, 2021 by Island Records as the third[2] single from Lovato's seventh studio album Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over. The singer co-wrote the song with Bianca Atterberry, John Ho, and its producer Mitch Allan. The song debuted and peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 50 in the UK and the Billboard Global 200 and number 7 in Hungary.

Background and composition

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"Dancing with the Devil" was featured in the trailer for Lovato's 2021 documentary Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil and is the second track from the album Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over.[3] Set in the key of C minor, the vocal range spans nearly three octaves, from E♭3 to B♭5.[4]

The song begins with currently recovered Lovato chronicling a 2018 substance dependency relapse, which would lead to a near-fatal overdose later that same year.[5] The opening verses describe the relapse's initial phase, which was primarily with red wine: "It's just a little red wine, I'll be fine/ Not like I wanna do this every night/ I've been good, don't I deserve it? I think I've earned it/ Feels like it's worth it in my mind."[6] The second verse describes an introduction to heavier drugs: "A little white line" that eventually became "a little glass pipe."[7]

Ultimately, Lovato becomes addicted to smoking heroin, singing "Tinfoil remedy almost got the best of me,"[5] and confessing in the pre-chorus that during this time, "I told you I was OK, but I was lying."[7] The track's chorus, "almost made it to heaven" by "playing with the enemy / gambling with my soul", refers to a past overdose. Lovato also sings about the grip that addiction had and the psychological difficulty it imposed, repeating throughout the song "It's so hard to say no / When you're dancing with the devil".[8]

Lyric video

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A lyric video was released with various visually muddled graphics, including imagery of an ocean, flames of a fire, and butterflies.

Music video

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The video for "Dancing with the Devil" is a detailed re-creation of the events involved in Lovato's 2018 drug overdose, sexual assault, and harrowing near-death experience, as well as the aftermath in the hospital the days after.[9] The music video is a re-enactment, and includes the green jacket worn that night with scenes of substance abuse at a party, followed by proceeding home and unzipping of the drug dealer's duffel bag in Lovato's bedroom, and later the drug dealer looming ominously over the singer's unconscious and unclothed body, presumably after a sexual assault.[9] The paramedics are then shown reviving and transporting Lovato to the hospital, where a neck tube is sewn in, in order to pump out blood, clean it, and pump it back in.[9] This is followed by scenes of family and friends shuddering at the hospital during the first post-overdose day, when survival was in doubt.[9] Finally Lovato wakes up, and is given a sponge bath by a nurse, which reveals a "survivor" tattoo near where the neck blood tube used to be.[9]

Critical reception

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Prior to its release, "Dancing with the Devil" was described by Shana Naomi Krochmal of Entertainment Weekly as "evok[ing] Adele's "Skyfall" theme".[10] Billboard described the song as "powerful" and "confessional".[11] Rob Harvilla of The Ringer, describes the song as "an expert slow-burn barrage of Bond Movie Theme extravagant melodrama."[9]

Credits and personnel

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Recording and management

Personnel

  • Demi Lovato – lead vocals, composition
  • Mitch Allan – composition, production, vocal production, programming, bass, keyboards, guitar, percussion
  • John Ho – composition, co-production
  • Bianca "Blush" Atterberry – composition, background vocals
  • Andy Guerrero – engineering
  • Caleb Hulin – engineering, programming, guitar
  • Midi Jones – programming, keyboards, piano
  • Kevin Kadish – piano engineering
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • John Hanes – engineering
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over.[12]

Accolades

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Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2021 MTV Europe Music Awards Video for Good Nominated [13]
MTV Video Music Awards Video for Good Nominated [14]

Charts

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Chart performance for "Dancing with the Devil"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] 49
Global 200 (Billboard)[16] 50
Hungary (Single Top 40)[17] 7
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 46
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[19] 6
Portugal (AFP)[20] 82
UK Singles (OCC)[21] 50
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 56
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[23] 39

Certifications

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Certifications and sales for "Dancing with the Devil"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[24] Platinum 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release history for "Dancing with the Devil"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various March 26, 2021
Island [26]
Italy Contemporary hit radio Universal [27]
United States March 29, 2021 Hot adult contemporary radio
[28]
March 30, 2021 Contemporary hit radio [29]

References

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  1. ^ Minsker, Evan (March 26, 2021). "Demi Lovato Releases New Song "Dancing With the Devil": Listen". Pitchfork.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  2. ^ Paul, Larisha (March 18, 2021). "Demi Lovato Teases Ariana Grande Collaboration On New Single". uDiscover Music. Retrieved April 2, 2021. ...The third Dancing With The Devil...The Art Of Starting Over single "Dancing With The Devil" will be released on March 26.
  3. ^ Chan, Anna (February 17, 2021). "Demi Lovato Reveals in 'Dancing With the Devil' She Suffered Three Strokes, Heart Attack After OD: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  4. ^ Bianca, Atterberry; Demi, Lovato; Mitch, Allan; John, Ho; Demi, Lovato (March 26, 2021). "Dancing with the Devil". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Perez, Lexy (March 25, 2021). "Demi Lovato Chronicles Relapse, Overdose in New Single, "Dancing With the Devil"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  6. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (March 26, 2021). "Demi Lovato sings about 2018 overdose in new song 'Dancing with the Devil'". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Costantino, George (March 26, 2021). "Demi Lovato drops new song, 'Dancing with the Devil,' about struggles with addiction". Good Morning America. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  8. ^ Mier, Tomás (March 26, 2021). "Demi Lovato Sings About Relapse, Nearly Fatal Overdose in Powerful Song 'Dancing with the Devil'". People. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Harvilla, Rob (April 5, 2021). "There's No Escapism in Demi Lovato's 'Dancing With the Devil'". The Ringer. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Krochmal, Shana Naomi (March 25, 2021). "Demi Lovato breaks down 11 songs from Dancing With the Devil... The Art of Starting Over". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  11. ^ "Demi Lovato Shares Confessional Song 'Dancing with the Devil': Stream It Now". Billboard. March 26, 2021. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  12. ^ Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over (Media notes). Demi Lovato. Island Records. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ "MTV EMA 2021 VOTING". www.mtvema.com. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  14. ^ "Justin Bieber & Megan Thee Stallion Lead 2021 MTV VMA Nominations". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  15. ^ "Demi Lovato Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  16. ^ "Demi Lovato Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  17. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  18. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  19. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  20. ^ "Demi Lovato – Dancing with the Devil". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  22. ^ "Demi Lovato Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  23. ^ "Demi Lovato Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  24. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Demi Lovato – Dancing with the Devil" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  25. ^ "American single certifications – Demi Lovato – Dancing with the Devil". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  26. ^ Lovato, Demi. "Dancing With The Devil – Single". Spotify. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  27. ^ Mancabelli, Alice. "Demi Lovato 'Dancing with the Devil'". Universal Music Group. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021 – via Radio Airplay SRL.
  28. ^ "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  29. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
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