Demi Lovato considered retiring from music while making “Child Star”: 'I didn’t know if it fulfilled me anymore'

The singer is now working on a new album that she says is "not rock at all."

After eight albums and 22 years in showbiz, Demi Lovato admits that she recently considered walking away from her music career entirely.

The former Disney star, who uses she/they pronouns, looked inward while filming their new documentary, Child Star. In addition to unpacking some of their most controversial moments as an adolescent celebrity, Lovato used the project to answer some big questions about their future — including whether or not they wanted to continue putting out new music.

During a visit to Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed podcast, Lovato explained, "One of the reasons why I made this film was, like, 'Why did we turn out the way that we did? And how does it affect me today? Is it something that I still wanna do? Why did I feel like I needed so much outside validation?’”

When Badgley asked if Lovato feels she succeeded in her search for answers, she said, “I do.”

"One of the questions is, like, 'Do I wanna still do this today?' You know, going into this film, I was considering retirement because I didn't know if it fulfilled me anymore," Lovato shared. "But for some reason, it was so therapeutic working on this project, realizing that, like, I don't need success."

The actress and musician, who made her onscreen debut at around 10 years old, explained that reflecting on fame with other child stars ultimately helped her determine what she wanted out of her musical pursuits.

“I don't need success, I need to be happy,” Lovato said. “And at the end of the day, music does make me happy, and that's why I wanna continue it. I don't wanna do it because I feel like I have to. I wanna do it because I love it. And working on this film has helped me kind of fall back in love with music.”

Related: Demi Lovato recalls Camp Rock costar Alyson Stoner finding her 'purging' during filming: 'You were there for me'

Ahead of the documentary, which debuted on Hulu on Sep. 17, Lovato released the reflective new single, “You’ll Be OK, Kid,” which sees them connect with and comfort their inner child. They told Badgley that working on the track was a crucial step in their musical journey, especially while recording new music for an upcoming album.

“That was an example of me going into the studio and, like, finally loving something that I worked on,” they said. “I'm so self critical that, like… I have had a really hard time, like, finding my sound and going into the studio and finding that confidence again.”

Related: Drew Barrymore and Demi Lovato reflect on being given 'substances' as children: 'It's unfathomable'

She continued, “With ‘You'll Be Okay, Kid.’ I was like, you know what? I do love music. I do love writing. I do love working on this, and I wanna still continue it.”

While her latest single and 2022 album, Holy Fvck, saw Lovato reconnect with the rockstar roots that she first cultivated in her debut 2009 album, Don’t Forget, the singer teases that her upcoming record will likely be a departure from that sound.

“What I'm doing in the studio now is not rock at all,” said Lovato. “But I'm having a great time working on it. And, you know, I've spent a year exploring with my sound, like, trying all these different genres, and, I think I know what I'm doing right now.”

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While new music is on the way, it’s unlikely that Lovato will bring it to venues nationwide. During her Holy Fvck tour, the singer wrote a series of Instagram Stories posts lamenting the grind of the touring lifestyle.

“I’m so f---ing sick I can’t get out of bed,” Lovato wrote in 2022. “I can’t do this anymore. This next tour will be my last. I love and thank you guys.”

She reaffirmed that stance earlier this year, telling The Hollywood Reporter that she isn’t sure if she will "ever tour again." She said simply, “It takes a toll on your body. I’m not 15 anymore.”

Child Star is the latest example of Lovato sharing her experience with substance abuse, body image issues, and growing up in the spotlight. Her first doc, Demi Lovato: Stay Strong, debuted in 2012, followed by Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated (2017) and Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil (2021). Unlike the prior projects, Child Star sees Lovato going beyond her personal struggles and chatting with an all-star cast of former child and young adult actors to discuss their experiences. The lineup includes Drew Barrymore, Kenan Thompson, Christina Ricci, Jojo Siwa, and Raven-Symoné.

You can hear Lovato talk more about Child Star in the podcast episode above.

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