Demi Lovato “Tell Me You Love Me” album review

Tell Me You Love Me is the sixth studio album by singer Demi Lovato that was released on September 29, 2017. Even though it’s primarily a pop record, the album features elements of R&B music.

Tell Me You Love Me explores with themes like recovering from heartbreak, letting go of past demons and being single.

Sorry Not Sorry is the opening track on the album. Lyrically, it talks about how Demi confidently showing herself to all of the haters. She sings, “Now, I am out here lookin’ for revenge/Feeling like a ten, the best I’ve ever been/And, yeah, I know how bad it must hurt to see me like this/But it gets worse”.

Then, she goes to the chorus with, “Baby, I’m sorry/I’m not sorry/Baby, I’m sorry/I’m not sorry/Bein’ so bad got me feelin’ so good/Showin’ you up like I knew that I would/Baby, I’m sorry/I’m not sorry/Baby, I’m sorry/I’m not sorry/Feelin’ inspired ‘cause the tables have turned/Yeah, I’m on fire and I know that it burns”.

 Tell Me You Love Me shows the singer's vulnerability as Lovato emphasizes the need for a relationship in her life with the lyrics,

"Oh no, here we go again/Fighting over what I said/ I'm sorry, yeah I'm sorry/Bad at love, no, I'm not good at this/ But I can't say I'm innocent/ Not hardly, but I'm sorry". Then she goes to the chorus with,

"Oh, tell me you love me/ I need someone on days like this, I do/ On days like this/ Oh, tell me you love me/I need someone/ On days like this, I do/ On days like this/ Oh, can you hear my heart say/ Ooohhhh, ooh/ No, you ain't nobody 'til you got somebody/You ain't nobody 'til you got somebody".

On Sexy Dirty Love, the singer found herself in a new relationship that is exciting and also sexy.

On the pre-chorus, she sings, "You're my new obsession/ Let go of any hesitation/ Baby, be my new addiction/Intoxicate me gently with your loving",

then on the chorus with, "You got me so high/ Pull me closer into you and watch our bodies intertwine/I feel so alive/ You know what I'm thinking of/ Got me dreamin' bout that sexy dirty love".

Click here to listen to "You Don't Do It For Me Anymore"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxt8ihkabuU

You Don't Do It For Me Anymore shows the singer breaking up with her old self from her addiction with drugs and alcohol. The track opens up with, "I see the future without you/ The hell was I doing in the past?/Now that I've learned all about you/A love like ours wouldn't last/I won't fall for your games/ So don't hate me when I say",

then on the chorus, she sings, "That you don't do it for me anymore/ No, you don't do it for me anymore/ You don't do it for me anymore".

Daddy Issues lyrically talks about a messed up relationship with one's father and chasing after older and yet unavailable men as Demi sings on the chorus, 

Lucky for you, I got all these daddy issues

What can I do?
I'm going crazy when I'm with you
Forget all the therapy that I've been through
Lucky for you
I got all these daddy issues
(All these daddy issues)
Daddy issues (daddy issues, uh)

Click on the link to listen to Ruin The Friendship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXuhd1-QOu0

Ruin The Friendship is a jazzy number that lyrically talks about stepping out of a platonic relationship and crossing the boundaries with someone. Lovato makes that known on the chorus with the lyrics,

Your body's looking good tonight

I'm thinking we should cross the line
Let's ruin the friendship
Let's ruin the friendship
Do all the things on our minds
What's taking us all this time
Let's ruin the friendship
Let's ruin the friendship

Only Forever is a melancholic ballad that talks about wanting the person that you want to explore a new relationship with. To make the first move or take that next step. This song has been described as "a sequel" to Ruin The Friendship. She opens the track with,

I've been thinking 'bout the future

And I've been thinking 'bout the now
I know we're gonna be together
I just don't know how

Then on the pre-chorus and chorus, Lovato says to her love interest,

You know when we get close
Can't deny the tension between us both
And I don't wanna pressure you, but I think you need to make a move

I've been waiting (I've been waiting)
And I'll keep waiting (I'll keep waiting)
Only forever, only forever
Only forever, only forever
Only forever, only forever
Only forever, only forever

Lonely (featuring Lil Wayne)

On Lonely, Demi talks about an unrequited love causing her to feel isolated in heart break. The song features rapper Lil Wayne and it's the only collaboration on the standard edition of the album.

Lovato makes her voice known on the chorus with,

Now I'm f***ing lonely, and you didn't want me

Trying to show me that you didn't own me
But all you do is leave me, f***ing lonely
Knees on the concrete, cut up and bleeding
For no Goddamn reason, but all you do is leave me
F***ng lonely
Leave me f***ing lonely
Leave me f***ing lonely
Leave me f***ing lonely

I would type in the lyrics to Lil Wayne's verse on the song, but there are just too nasty for me to summarize on here.

Cry Baby finds Lovato herself not letting her emotions control her when it comes to relationships. On the chorus, Demi sings,

Congratulations, celebration

'Cause my heart is the hardest to break
Break up to make up
Just to wake up with mascara all over my face
And I'm no cry baby, but you make me cry lately
I'm no cry baby, but you make me cry baby
I'm no cry baby, but you make me cry lately
I'm no cry baby, but you make me cry baby, cry baby

Games talks about the singer's relationship with a playboy who seemingly loves to play hard-to-get.

She comes very strong on the first verse,

Text on 'read', and it ain't no accident

Boy, I ain't gon' ask again
Now you got me in my head
Waiting by the phone at night, that's s**t that I don't do
And I just can't explain what's happening

Then, the singer admits that she's not kind of person to be playing games with saying on the chorus,

I don't know why you play these games
Come on, now say what you wanna say
Careful when you play these games
You might find out the hard way that two can play
Yeah, two can play
Yeah, two can play
Yeah, two can play these games

Lyrically, Concentrate is full of lust and sexual themes as Demi sings on the guitar-driven track,

"Make music when you're moanin'/From night until the morning/Just tell me when you're ready/And Imma paint your body with my lips".

Then she goes to the chorus with the lyrics,

"Baby, I'll do anything you want/Lock me up like I'm your slave/ Cause ooh, when you're done with me/ I can't even concentrate, concentrate/Ooh, I can't even concentrate/ No, hey, yeah".

Hitchhiker is the last song on Tell Me You Love Me. It's a slow and romantic track about being able to depend on someone and feeling safe with them. She sings on the first verse,

"Ooh, yeah/I can't explain what's going on/Something happened when you came along, oh/It's driving me crazy, crazy/ You're taking me to new places/And I pretend I'm not anxious, but oh/ You're driving me crazy, crazy",

 and then Lovato goes to the chorus with, "I've been waitin' all night, lookin' for your headlights/I know that we're strangers, but I'll leave it all for you/Go anywhere you wanna go/I don't really need to know, if my heart is in danger/'Cause as long as you're the driver/I'm your hitchhiker, yeah".

I am a huge Demi Lovato fan. I've known Demi since her days on Disney Channel. I loved the fact that she decided to make a soulful record with this album.

The production, the lyrics and the whole album itself was very different from her previous album "Confident". Lovato has really matured on Tell Me You Love Me and I can't wait for her to make more albums like this one.

I enjoyed listening to it on Spotify from beginning to end.

So, for that, I rate this album a 10/10.

I would definitely recommend this record to anyone who has never listened to Demi's music or someone who has been a longtime fan of hers for years.

So, make sure that you buy/stream "Tell Me You Love Me" on all streaming platforms:

https://www.amazon.com/Demi-Lovato-Tell-You-Love/dp/B0761V5RCY

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tell-me-you-love-me/1405197230

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Demi_Lovato_Tell_Me_You_Love_Me?id=B33bapotnlfjxf5nme6gcaozpvm

https://open.spotify.com/album/233yswCIc7oCFpZ2M9t0wa

https://www.iheart.com/artist/demi-lovato-42340/albums/tell-me-you-love-me-58786834/

Ariana Grande "imagine" review

 

imagine (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by singer Ariana Grande that was released on December 14, 2018, through Republic Records. It serves as the first promotional single for her upcoming fifth studio album titled thank u, next. The lyric video for the song was released on the same day.

The song is lyrically about Grande’s denial of failed relationships. imagine is a R&B song with a trap-inspired beat and a pop ballad all in one. It also features multiple whistles notes from the singer that will leave you speechless.

It is rumored that the inspiration for imagine was inspired by Grande’s ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, who died of a drug overdose in September of 2018.

She begins to makes two references to Mac Miller's 2016 song “Cinderella” from his album The Divine Feminine. Here are the lyrics to Cinderella:

"And when you hungry, I can chef you up some stir fry"

Now, compare that to Ariana's interpolation of the song on imagine:

"Staying up all night, order me pad thai/ Then we gon' sleep 'til noon"

Here is the second reference in which Grande sings, "Knew you were perfect after the first kiss/ Took a deep breath like "Ooh"/ Feels like forever, baby, I never thought that it would be you"

This is also very similar to when Miller rapped about not being Ariana's type on Cinderella with the lyrics:

"You used to tell me all the time I ain't your type/Now you always wanna spend the night"

Coincidence, anyone?

On the chorus, Ariana sings about an unattainable love that is now unreachable with the lyrics, "Imagine a world like that/ Imagine a world like that/ We go like up 'til I'm 'sleep on your chest/ Love how my face fits so good on your neck/ Why can't you imagine a world like that? Imagine a world"


My take on imagine is that I love how this song is opposite from her previous single "thank u, next", which was all about self-empowerment. The maturity of Grande's voice on this track makes you want to love the singer even more.

I would give this single 10/10 because of the dark theme and the lyrics of it that really speaks to you.

Buy/stream "imagine" on Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud and Google Play:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/imagine-single/1446649414

https://www.amazon.com/imagine-Explicit-Ariana-Grande/dp/B07LBB4M7R

https://open.spotify.com/album/61c5zqfBCSPO1tb3DFbbFB

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Ariana_Grande_imagine?id=Bcmqgw33gyxsspdhxxslwnwkqxi

https://soundcloud.com/ariana-grande-official/imagine

H.E.R. "I Used To Know Her: Part 2 EP" review

I Used To Know Her: Part 2 is the fifth extended play by R&B singer H.E.R released on November 2, 2018. It serves as a follow-up to her previous EP I Used To Know Her: The Prelude. This is also H.E.R's final EP project as she prepares to release her upcoming debut studio album. 

Carried Away

Carried Away is the opening track for the EP. It's a guitar driven song as H.E.R. talks about being sad and lonely while also wanting to be taken and doesn't want it to be for nothing. She sings on the first verse,

 "Stare at the window

All by myself
Jaded and waiting for some kinda miracle, yeah
Love doesn't live here
And I've gotta love tears
Sorry if I can't imagine that you care, oh,"

and goes on to the chorus with, 

"Please
I never saw it coming
You wanna take me away
So please
Don't let it be for nothing before we get carried away, yeah"

Can't Help Me

Can't Help Me is about the singer's personal struggles that she's dealing with in her head and her lover tries to help her, but she say that she can't be helped. The song begins with, 

"Sorry that I've been livin' in my head

Holdin' onto words I ain't said yet
I'm bitter, sorry, I just can't see
You with someone that isn't me
You should know I've been tryna find my peace
I know it's difficult being with me
But I just wanna love you this way
And you just make it so hard for me,"

and on the chorus with the lyrics, 

"But you can't help me

You can't help me"

I'm Not OK

I'm Not OK finds the singer worrying about where her lover is as she sings, 

"Sick to my stomach

Four in the morning, I can't sleep
In and out the city
I'm worried 'bout where you may be
Feels like I've been here
Stressing the things that I can see
Where do you go? What do you do?
Without me, without me",

and says on the chorus, 

"I'm not okay, I'm not okay
I'm not okay, no I'm not okay
I'm not okay, no I'm not okay
I'm not okay
Losing my faith, I'm losing my faith
Slipping away, you're slipping away
I'm not okay, no I'm not okay
I'm not okay"

Take You There

Take You There is the fourth track where H.E.R. is thinking about going on an adventure with her partner and wants to take him here with the lyrics on the chorus suggesting, 

"Can I tell you something for what it's worth?

With you Heaven is a place on Earth
And I will take you there, I'll take you
Show you something give you more than words
With you Heaven is a place on Earth
And I will take you there, I'll take you there
Take you there"

Going (Interlude)

Going is the fifth track and the first interlude on the EP. She begins singing about wanting to reconnect with her long lost love. It starts off with, 

"Yeah, wish I could be where you are

I know the distance is far
I've been running, running through your mind
Promise that I'm on a flight, going to you right now
I don't have much time, with you tonight
I've been going, I've been going, I've been focused
Just be with me in the moment
Trust me I know how you feel right now
Baby that's just what it is right now
Just stay with me, right behind you
And I'm trying to, make the time to
Baby that's all I can give right now
Maybe that's just what it is right now, yeah, yeah"

Hard Place

On Hard Place, the singer is stuck between being in an unhealthy relationship and her own well-being, knowing that love will only win. She begins with, 

"Wanna believe what you say

But I hate you on most days
You've been testing my faith and my patience, yeah
And you know that I be head strong
But you know that you be dead wrong
Telling me to relax when I'm reacting",

and the continues with, 

"What if nothing ever will change?
Oh I'm caught between your love and a hard place
Oh I wish there was a right way
I'm caught between your love and a hard place, oh
Woah, oh oh woah, oh oh woah, oh oh woah
I'm caught between your love and a hard place
Oh I wish there was a right way
I'm caught between your love and a hard place, oh"

Fate

On this song, H.E.R. is trying to express her doubt about the relationship that she's in. Then she begins to question her fate in that person singing, 

"I'm lost, is it really even my fault?

I don't think that it's supposed to be hard, if it's really meant to be
So give me a sign
Is he always gonna be mine?
Have I given it enough of my time?
You cannot blame if it don't mean nothing",

and goes on to the chorus with, 

"Sweet, sweet fate

I had about all I can take
Am I living in the path that I make
Is it yours? I wonder
Sweet, sweet fate
(Sweet, sweet fate)
Oh if it's really out of my hands
(If it's really out of my hands)
Can you forgive all of my sins?
(Can you forgive all of my sins?)

                                               Have mercy on me, me
 

 

Lord Is Coming

 

Lord Is Coming is the final track on I Used To Know Her: Part 2. The song begins with a spoken word by the singer talking about the society that we live in before she sings on the first verse with, "We're like Daniel in the den/ Surrounded by these hungry lions/ Looking in the jaws of death/ We reach for saving hands/ No help will come from then/ The Lord is coming".

So, you guys already know that I am a huge fan of H.E.R.'s music. When I found out that she was releasing another EP, my mind was completely blown. I love all of the songs on the EP like Carried Away, Can't Help Me, I'm Not OK and The Lord Is Coming. I also like H.E.R.'s use of the interlude on both of her EPs. You would normally expect an interlude to be on a studio album, but definitely not on an extended play and I thought that she did a very good job at that.

I give the EP a 10/10. You really need H.E.R. in your life because she is bringing R&B music back to its roots.

Make sure that you purchase "I Used To Know Her: Part 2" on Google Play, Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music and more:

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/H_E_R_I_Used_To_Know_Her_Part_2_EP?id=Byiur3umplcvymnj3ig45qwtwcm

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-used-to-know-her-part-2-ep/1440531681
https://www.amazon.com/Used-Know-Her-Part-EP/dp/B07JZKCVPG

 

https://open.spotify.com/album/46imFLgb9fR1Io6EoPYeQh