Demi Lovato’s new YouTube documentary makes you feel empowered

2017 is the year of Demi Lovato. Not only has she dropped a killer album with amazing singles, but she’s just released a brand new documentary, titled ‘Simply Complicated’, on YouTube—and it is everything. No, really. It’s everything.

The feature-length documentary takes us behind the scenes of the glitz and glam that we often see in the public eye from Miss Lovato and shows the darker, more realistic side to her life.

Sure, being a pop sensation can have its perks, but with status comes struggle. Demi hasn’t shied away from talking about it before, but in ‘Simply Complicated’, we dig a little deeper into the starlet’s past and get a closer glimpse at her demons.

The story that has been painted for us via the media goes like this: Back a few years ago, Demi had some problems that she needed help with, checked into rehab for about a year, and then came back as a new woman. Little did we know, it was so much more than that.

In the documentary, Demi shares the aftermath of her time in a rehabilitation centre and how it took more than that to break her addiction. We see the real and raw Demi, who isn’t some squeaky-clean pop princess, but rather someone human with bad sides who’s gone through tough journeys. She’s not perfect, but at the end of the day, who really is?

Hearing Demi’s story from Demi herself as well as her loved ones is so eye opening. We’re stripped of the rose-tinted glasses we often wear when looking at famous people and see the cold, dark reality of having mental health struggles—and how they can impact anyone, even if you’re a former Disney Channel star.

It reminds people (such as myself) that our struggles are real, and they can’t be magically cured; that it’s okay if you end up falling again and again, just so long as you are determined to pick yourself back up and keep on going.

There’s no glorious happily ever after, but that’s okay. And you are not alone.

The most powerful line from the documentary for me is Demi stating, “I’m learning how to be a voice and not a victim.” For me, this is eye opening to the fact that, as someone dealing with issues, I shouldn’t be victim to them, but instead plough on and raise my voice on the topic.

I’m learning how to be a voice and not a victim.

– Demi Lovato

Aside from her battles with addiction, Demi also touches on sexuality—both orientation and beating the stigma around women and sex. Her attitude to combat everything that comes attached to women casually sleeping around is amazing and so full of feminist power that I couldn’t help but applaud her.

Another important lesson Demi teaches is about heartbreak. She shares her intimate and vulnerable feelings following her split with Wilmer Valderrama and feeling like she was becoming someone independent for the first time in life. Heartbreak isn’t something you can cure as easily as they do in the movies; it takes time and effort, and Demi showcases this perfectly in the documentary.

‘Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated’ is available on YouTube now.

 

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