Music Review: Demi Lovato "Heart Attack"

Demi Lovato

Heart Attack

Album: Demi

Year: 2013

        Demi Lovato refuses to be vulnerable around her crush in the  stubborn  “Heart Attack.”

        Smoggy synths open the single, setting a programmed tone.  In the chorus, she ignores him when he walks by. When he smiles at her, she sneers back. Guys are only friends with benefits to her. She’s not interested in getting in a long-term relationship with them. Committing to one  guy would be tramautic for her. (“Puttin’ my defenses up/‘Cause I don’t wanna fall in love/If I ever did that/I think I’d have a heart attack.”)

             After kissing a guy, she’s hasn’t ever felt compelled to say “I love you.” Some of the sweeter guys at school  have tried reaching out to her, asking her out after the basketball game. However, she’s told them no. With them, it would lead to sharing lockers and wearing jerseys on game day. She’s a natural flirt and guys flock to her. However, around her crush, it forces to start to take another look at herself. She worries he  may see her as a slut. Usually, she’ll go out with a guy and say what they want to hear. She won’t try to impress him by wearing her hair his favorite way. She’ll leave it greasy and make him guess what she’s thinking. When he starts figuring out her game, she’s switches it up again, changing her mind when he least expects it.  (“Never put my love out on the line/Never said yes to the right guy/Never had trouble getting what I want/But when it comes to you, I’m never good enough/When I don’t care/I can play ‘em like a Ken doll/Won’t wash my hair/Then make 'em bounce like a basketball.”)

           In the pre-chorus, she finds herself blushing when his name comes up. When her friends are in the cosmetic aisle, she begins searching for a shade that will catch his eye. Suddenly, her plain white tank tops and ratty demin cut off shorts seem trashy. She realizes she has to present herself better. She can’t think straight when he’s near her. With any other guy, she would’ve grabbed his hand already. Her usual aggressive tactics would scare him off. After he leaves, she squeals to herself and takes in the moment. But onces she closes her locker, her face is stern.  (“But you make me wanna act like a girl/Paint my nails and wear high heels/Yes, you make me so nervous/That I just can’t hold your hand/You make me glow, but I cover up/Won’t let it show, so I’m.”)

           The chorus is sung three times.

          She’d have no trouble burping or letting out gas with her past flings. Once she sees him, she can squeaks out a “hi,” quickly embarassed by the high pitch of her voice. She’s into classic cartoons and loves to make silly jokes. When she makes her jokes, it makes it look she’s trying too hard. She’s had her heart broken before by a supposed nice guy and decided not to get into a serious relationship again. Love can be a rush she it leaves wondering when it becomes a routine. (“ Never break a sweat for the other guys/When you come around, I get paralyzed/And every time I try to be myself/It comes out wrong like a cry for help/It's just not fair/Pain's more trouble than love is worth/I gasp for air/It feels so good, but you know it hurts/But you make me wanna act like a girl/Paint my nails and wear perfume/For you. Make me so nervous/That I just can’t hold your hand./You make me glow, but I cover up/Won’t let it show, so I’m.”)

           The chorus is sung three times.

          In the bridge, she can’t articulate her emotions. When they are working together in class, she wants stopping about the assignment and tell him she cares about him. Instead, she says nothing. She doesn’t know how to be happy. She wishes she could be a better person. (“The feelings are lost in my lungs/They’re burning, I’d rather be numb/And there’s no one else to blame/So scared I take off in a run
I’m flying too close to the sun/And I burst into flames/You make me glow, but I cover up/Won’t let it show, so I’m.”)

              The chorus is sung five times to end the single.
 

      Lovato’s gurgling, molded vocals are overstuffed with processing, spilling shreds of metal all over the notes.   

        The yowling “Heart Attack” scratches at the door, pleading for credibility.