Demi Lovato has returned with new music coupled with what appears to be a heartbreaking announcement. In her surprise new single, “Sober,†Lovato seems to say she has relapsed after six years of sobriety. She sings in the ballad’s confessional hook, “Momma I’m so sorry I’m not sober anymore / And Daddy please forgive me for the drinks spilled on the floor / To the ones who never left me, we’ve been down this road before / I’m so sorry, I’m not sober.†Lovato uses the rest of the song to apologize to her fans, including the ones whose support she fears she may lose for good: “I’m sorry for the fans I lost, who watched me fall again / I wanna be a role model, but I’m only human.â€
Lovato recently opened up at length about her years-long battle with addiction and an eating disorder in a candid documentary tied to the release of her last album, speaking about her long road to recovery and the daily struggle to stay on it. On “Sober,†she reassures fans — but, above all, herself — that she’ll recover once again: “I’m sorry that I’m here again / I promise I’ll get help / It wasn’t my intention / I’m sorry to myself.â€