Pop star Demi Lovato embarked on her “Tell Me You Love Me” tour less than a month ago and has been rocking North America since. She landed in Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center on March 16 and gave exactly what one would expect: seemingly effortless vocals and a lot of style. The 25-year-old singer’s show was not just any concert, though; it was a journey into her past and present and was a celebration of what is to come. Lovato took the stage with a fierce confidence, slaying every note and dance move she hit. Here are some of the top moments from the “Sorry Not Sorry” singer’s Brooklyn show.
Sober Celebration
The day before the concert marked Lovato’s sixth anniversary of being sober from drugs and alcohol, an addiction with which she has openly struggled with. As she sat down at her piano, opening acts DJ Khaled and Kehlani walked out onto the stage, advising her to wait to sing. Shocked, Lovato squealed, “I don’t know what’s going on,” with a pang of uncertainty in her voice. Khaled began to talk about how proud of the strong young woman that Lovato was, saying, “What you’ve overcome through trials and tribulations . . . through dark clouds, you’ve found the sunshine and now the sun shines on you forever.” He then prompted the whole arena to sing “Happy Birthday” to the stunned star. Kehlani also added how much of an inspiration Lovato was to her and to all women.
Tearful Remark
Following the sweet surprise, Lovato took a moment to speak on her past struggles and reminded people self care is more important than anything. “I made changes in my life and the reason why I became so open about my story is because I know that there are people here tonight that need to ask for help and I want you to know that’s okay,” she preached, with tears in her eyes. It is these genuine remarks that really affected me. Here is a young woman only a few years older than me, who has broken down her walls to let her vulnerability show in order to inspire others to take control of their lives. If this is not a reason to respect Lovato, I do not know what is.
“Father”
Following the surprise and then heart-warming speech, Lovato sang a song she says she only recently added to her set list: a tribute to her late father, someone who struggled with bipolar disorder and addiction issues, just as she does. Lovato said once her father passed, she finally forgave him for all his sins and wrote a song to dedicate to him. I cry at concerts due to excitement all the time, but I have a hard time remembering being brought to tears due to the emotional strength of a song. There were a lot of tears shed that night, by the performer and audience, and that is how an artist connects with fans.
Sexy Dirty Bass
It’s time to brighten things up. Something that modern pop music has taken away is the importance of a live band. Some artists forgo a band altogether on tour. With Lovato’s rocker roots, though, there was no way she was skipping out on letting the light shine on the instruments. Something I thoroughly enjoyed throughout the concert was how prominent the instruments were in some of her songs. Most notably, the bass guitar was amplified during the song “Sexy Dirty Love,” giving a funky, fun undertone.
Surprise, surprise!
One going to the “Tell Me You Love Me” tour expects “CRZY” singer Kehlani and producer and disc jockey DJ Khaled to open up the show and pump up the crowd for the treat they are in for, but they were not the only ones who came out on stage that night. Concert goers were treated to a surprise performance of “Mi Gente” by J. Balvin and “Savior,” performed by Iggy Azalea and Lovato, who are close friends. DJ Khaled also brought Kehlani back out during his performance as well as an NYC rapper. It was a magical night filled with some of music’s hottest stars.
Father of Asahd
DJ Khaled is a family man, often speaking about the importance of family and especially gushing over his toddler, Asahd. During his performance, he instructed that family is first and that his son gave his life a new meaning, and that he takes the title “Father of Asahd” (which is what his new album is named) very seriously. At the end of his performance, Asahd even sweetly ran onto stage into his father’s loving arms, which prompted the DJ to fall into a speech directed at his son, explaining how special he is and how important he is to the world (although Asahd seemed to have no idea what was going on). It was a sweet gesture and warmed the hearts of the entire arena.
Luis Fonsi
The “Despacito” singer was not at the concert, but his presence was felt on the huge screens that served as a backdrop to the stage as Lovato performed their “Èchame La Culpa” collaboration. I was absolutely blown away by Lovato’s smooth Spanish singing which made for an incredible performance.
Kiss Kam
Lovato is an established singer, so she has many throwbacks to hear. She did not shy away from the 2011 hit “Give Your Heart a Break” as a kissing camera was cast on the crowd, prompting concert goers to embrace their significant others, friends and even strangers. It was a sweet gesture that celebrated all types of love.
GMC NYC
Speaking of celebrating all types of love, Lovato was joined on stage by New York City’s Gay Men’s Chorus during the show finale performance of “Tell Me You Love Me.” Lovato has been a prominent proponent of the LGBTQ+ community, and her infusion of that with a local group was a touching end to an emotional night.
Lovato put on a show that was full of passion, friends, honesty and love. Fans not only walked away with an unforgettable performance, but with a newfound sense of inspiration.
Cover photo courtesy of Unsplash.com.