Demi Lovato brought a hefty dose of rock flavor to her performance at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. On Tuesday (September 12), Lovato was one of the many artists who took to the stage inside New Jersey’s Prudential Center. Backed by an all-female band, she opened the set with her 2013 hit, “Heart Attack,” followed by her other signature hit, “Sorry Not Sorry.”
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Flanked by smoke machines and flames, Lovato powered through the set that was at times pitchy as she struggled to sing above the band, which was particularly noticeable on “Cool For the Summer.” The song was complete with a thrashing guitar solo, the crowd of fans fully enthralled as she wailed through several high notes that brought the performance to a grand finish. Country star Kelsea Ballerini could be seen singing and bopping along in the crowd, while South Korean pop supergroup Stray Kids were also seen jamming.
The last time the former Disney star performed at the VMAs was in 2017 when she sang “Cool For the Summer,” which was nominated for Song of Summer. Lately, Lovato has been giving rock makeovers to some of her biggest pop hits that will be featured on her album, Revamped, which drops on September 15. The new studio version of “Sorry Not Sorry” features Guns N’ Roses’ guitarist, Slash.
Lovato was nominated for Pop Video, which went to Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” and Video for Good for her song “Swine,” which went to Dove Cameron’s “Breakfast.” “It’s been one year since the Supreme Court’s decision to dismantle the constitutional right to a safe abortion, and although the path forward will be challenging, we must continue to be united in our fight for reproductive justice,” Lovato explained of the meaning behind “Swine” at the time of its release. “I created ‘SWINE’ to amplify the voices of those who advocate for choice and bodily autonomy.”
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for MTV)
