Demi Lovato defends decision to perform ‘Heart Attack’ for heart attack survivors

‘It was a sensitive moment intended to champion the women in the room,’ said a representative

A representative for Demi Lovato has defended the singer’s decision to perform her 2013 hit “Heart Attack” at a recent performance for a room full of heart attack survivors.

Lovato took the stage at the American Heart Association’s annual Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection concert on 31 January.

The event is intended to raise awareness about deadly cardiovascular ailments, and the 31-year-old raised eyebrows on social media with her choice to perform one of her signature hits.

After videos of the performance circulated online, a representative for Lovato told Entertainment Weekly that the 31-year-old singer had first explained to the crowd why she wanted to sing that particular song.

“She spoke on the mind-heart connection. It was a sensitive moment intended to champion the women in the room — the very reason why Demi was at the event,” the representative explained. “She did open with a beautiful intro on why she chose the song and addressed the room, talking about the mind and heart connection. It was actually a beautiful moment.”

On social media, many users had questioned the choice of song. “Demi Lovato sang her song ‘Heart Attack’ at an American Heart Association Event...if that ain’t the most tone deaf thing I’ve ever heard.......” wrote one X/Twitter user, while another asked: “In poor taste or the perfect song?”

Demi Lovato attends The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert on 31 January 2024 (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for The American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert)

Lovato herself suffered a heart attack in 2018 following a drug overdose. “I actually don’t think people realize how bad it actually was,” she during her 2021 Dancing With the Devil docuseries. “I had three strokes. I had a heart attack. I suffered brain damage from the strokes. I can’t drive anymore. And I have blind spots in my vision so sometimes when I go to pour a glass of water, I’ll totally miss the cup because I can’t see it.

“I also had pneumonia because I asphyxiated and had multiple organ failure... I’m really lucky to be alive. My doctors said that, like, I had five to 10 more minutes. And had my assistant not come in, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Last year, Lovato announced that she had decided to re-adopt she/her pronouns in addition to they/them pronouns.

In 2021, Lovato had announced that they are non-binary and would be using they/them pronouns. Last year, they decided to also use she/her pronouns to avoid having to constantly explain herself.

“I constantly had to educate people and explain why I identified with those pronouns,” said Lovato. “It was absolutely exhausting.”