I was listening to Demi Lovato’s Saturday night live performance and heard this brilliant, ethereal melody pumping through my laptop’s speakers. The song I heard “Stone Cold” and “Lionheart” both represent the evolution of her character. Both songs show Lovato’s strength along with the different chapters in her life.  In “Stone Cold” Lovato describes her feelings after her ex moved on, along with "Lionheart," where Lovato exemplifies her compassion for Mr. Valenderama, her new love interest. Both songs tie into the concept of Lovato moving on and creating new phases in her life. I am the first person to rock out to Demi Lovato's "Cool for the summer" or "Confident," but I have noticed her new music seems to be lacking in the classic power ballads we have come to expect from Lovato. There is a reason she's known for these types of songs, between a collaboration of her inspirational life and strong vocals, Lovato can give you goose bumps! However with her performance of "Stone Cold" and “Lionheart,” she confirms she is not done giving us power ballads yet.

"Stone Cold" is all sorts of amazing. The lyrics add an extra layer of intensity to the track as Lovato sings, "Stone cold, stone cold / You see me standing, but I'm dying on the floor / Stone cold, stone cold / Maybe if I don't cry, I don't feel anymore." The song appears to describe Lovato's feelings after her ex moved on. When she rephrases “Stone Cold,” she implies that her emotions are a wall that wont be penetrated like a some sort of marble texture. However, she takes things a step further, sharing the heartbreak that comes with seeing your loved one with someone else: "You're dancing with her, but I'm staring at my phone / Stone cold, stone cold / I was your amber, but now she's your shade of gold." This lyric suggests that Lovato was the amber to her ex, but now her ex’s new partner is something more ‘pure’ and ‘valuable’ as gold.  Although she seems as she has moved on she really is both dying using her though exterior as a mask and being ‘Stone Cold’. "Stone Cold" takes listeners on an emotional journey as Lovato sings the words, and holding notes in a way that is astonishing, even for her. One of Lovato's strengths is her ability to tap into the emotions of her fans, and this song is an excellent example of how she does so. She doesn't rely on production value, instead letting her authenticity and talent take the lead. Seriously, my arms get goose bumps. I am such a fan of "Confident" and "Cool for the summer," but this might be my favorite track off her fifth album. 

In “Lionheart” Lovato frequently speaks of what an incredible source of support Wilmer Valderrama has been to her, whom Lovato is singing about, that person is always with her, giving her strength. Based on the Instagram captions we have seen from her, all signs point to Wilmer Valderrama. As Lovato and Valderrama's relationship has not been without controversy it began when Lovato was just seventeen, and Valderrama was thirty with a history of dating other younger girls, like Lindsay Lohan. But, now, it has been five years, and these two are still together. I am particularly interested in the line, "we stand together facing a war," which, in my mind, could be Lovato's war against addiction, both of them fighting bad press for their relationship, or just fame in general, which has already shown its potential to be so damaging to the two of them. Either way, it all fits they don't need other people to understand, because they have each other. These lines really remind me of things Lovato has said about missing Valderrama when she is away from him, even after all these years. He is the light that calls her home, even when they are apart.

“Stone Cold” demonstrates Lovato’s past while “Lionheart” shows the new chapter she has created; In “Stone Cold” the lines “God knows I tried to feel/Happy for you/ Know that I am, even if I can't understand, I'll take the pain /Give me the truth” presents Lovato’s feelings for her ex when he’s moved on, and his affection for the other woman get stronger. In “Lionheart,” the lyrics “And we walk together into the light /and my love will be your armor tonight/ we are lionhearts/And we stand together facing a war/And our love is going to conquer it all/ We are lion hearts,” illustrates the image of Lovato’s armor facing the world. Her love for her new partner is invincible just like her strength. Lovato moved on and made a new chapter in her life by creating a new relationship. Both songs represent her journey.

Something that Lovato touches on in her songs ”Stone Cold” and “Lion Heart” is how she conditions herself to grow stronger. As a society we can interpret this concept by staying strong. To stay strong throughout tough times and keep our lion hearts beating. Whatever life throws at you, even if it hurts you, just be strong and fight it through it. “Strong walls shake but never collapse.”