Demi Lovato worried their career would end if they stopped being 'hyper-feminine'

11 June 2021

Demi Lovato was “afraid” of what might happen to their career if they stopped being that “super sexy hyper-feminine pop star”.

Demi Lovato

The 28-year-old singer recently came out as non-binary, and has said being honest with who they are has helped their art become “that much greater” because it’s now a true “reflection” of who they are.

Speaking on their ‘4D with Demi Lovato’ podcast, they said: "I know what it's like to have your dream feel like it can hold you back, but it's quite the opposite. Now that I am living my truth, my art has just become that much greater because my art is a reflection of who I am. So now that I'm able to be more transparent with the world in who I am, they can see my art better. And they hear it better.

"I was so afraid, at times, of what my career would look like if I wasn't that super sexy hyper-feminine pop star. My career doesn't matter as much to me now as it does living my truth."

Meanwhile, Demi revealed last month they felt as though the patriarchy kept them in a box where they were unable to be themselves.

They explained: "After years of living my life for other people, trying to make myself smaller for the patriarchy - they run the industry, they are at the centre of everything.

“When I realised that, I thought, 'What are the ways that the patriarchy has been holding me back?' And for me, it was putting me in a box telling [me], 'You are a female, this is what you're supposed to like, this is what you're supposed to do, don't dream bigger and don't speak louder.'

"That didn't vibe for me because I'm too outspoken for that.”

The ‘Sober’ hitmaker came out as non-binary on the first episode of their podcast.

They said at the time: "Over the past year-and-a-half, I've been doing some healing and self-reflective work. And through this work, I've had the revelation that I identify as non-binary. With that said, I'll be officially changing my pronouns to they/them. I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am, and am still discovering."