Demi is everything and everything is Demi

Remember that one time when I said, "I don’t want to say ‘idol’ because idolization can become extremely dangerous and 90% of the time people aren’t aiming to be ‘idolized." Yeah, that wasn't pertaining to Demi Lovato. I LOVE DEMI LOVATO. Like a lot

So way, way back many centuries ago (2008) I was absolutely in LOVE with the Jonas Brothers. Yada, yada, yada, team jonas, yada. So they announced their opening act was going to be Demi Lovato. This was BEFORE Camp Rock came out. So, I was all, "Anything the Jonas Brothers say is scripture so I need to eat, sleep, and breath this girl." I found out she was the girl from the short-lived mini-series As the Bell Rings. Remember precious baby Demi with a gap? :')

Long story short, I FELL IN LOVE WITH DEMI LOVATO. At their Burning Up Tour, I literally LOST MY CRAP when she came on stage. I was, like, one out of maybe 200 that knew who she was so I was JAMMIN'. I cried. I actually burst out in to tears. (But that tends to happen at any concert I go to. Then again, the only concerts I've gone to have been concerts of people that I'm 'in love with.' Then again, I'm in love with everyone.) ANYWAYS, Demi sang, I cried, it was a great night. 

I could have met her but NO, 14-year-old Abby had to go to school the next day and my parents had to go to work. Ugh, the struggle was real those early teen days. I also cried because I couldn't meet her. But then again, I was on post-concert high. And I needed water like Amanda Bynes needs to put a shirt on. (desperately.) 

Flash forward to today. She released her album on her website/YouTube. A listen before ya buy kinda marketing strategy. And as per usual, I LOVED IT. I personally thought it was a lot better than her Junior album. I liked her first two, but the last one lacked... something. This one however is super raw, super real, and super relevant. It combines her beautiful piano ballads with some Rhianna-esque synthesized beats PERFECTLY. Also, CHER LLOYD is on a track. I get two of my queens for the PRICE OF ONE.

But I don't want to talk about Demi's music itself. I want to talk about Demi.  You know, being a teenage girl, especially in Western culture,  it's so easy to just tear yourself to shreds without anyone even batting an eye. I've struggled heaps amount with body image and weight and hair and eyes and skin and complexion and markings on my body and cuticles and hands and every single little thing you can nitpick. But Demi Lovato flawlessly leads the young female generation with a high head and fabulous confidence.

When I heard about Demi's enter to rehab, I was literally shocked. I was pushing away all of those horrible rumors that were swirling around the dust of all those sketchy celebrity gossip sites, simply because I didn't want to find a flaw in her. Not that what she went through was a flaw. But, remember when I said idolization was dangerous? Yeah, it is. This is why. You have this perfect image of the idolizee and you don't want to soil it. So when she reached her lowest point, it was kinda like losing a piece of you. Which sounds crazy, absolutely mental but if you've ever had a true idol, you can relate. If not, I swear I'm sane. Well, most of the time.

Demi has gone through so much. It takes a seriously strong person to be able to pick herself up off the ground and start over. And the fact that she was about my age now when all of this happened to her is insane. "A little girl who grew up too fast," is a line from her song Warrior (a song I cried over. I swear I don't cry this much, but apparently in this blog, I cry over everything.) Fame happens in a blink of an eye. Suddenly, you're thrust into the limelight and there's no where to hide. That's why I feel for celebrities. People may call me crazy because they have everything 'handed to them' but they lose their life. Their privacy. Everything. They were never asked to be rolemodels. They're forced. They shouldn't have to be a role model for your 12-year-old. But Demi took on that responsibility  and I admire her so much for that.

She doesn't just have the talent. She has the personality. She has the strength  I admire her so deeply not only as an artist, but as a female living in this body-shaming society, as well as a human. 

I thank Demi for being such a positive influence on my life. For telling me that it's okay to be curvy. It's okay to have low points in life. Because we all are warriors.

I'm looking forward to May 14th when her new album "DEMI" drops, and I will most definitely shove it into the faces of everyone just so they KNOW, Demi Lovato is everything and everything is Demi Lovato.

Stay Beautiful

xx

A

(PS, the album is seriously freaking great and I think ALL OF Y'ALL should listen to it. Really Don't Care is my JAM.)