"Still Have Me"
Single by Demi Lovato
A-side"I Love Me"
ReleasedSeptember 30, 2020 (2020-09-30)
GenrePop
Length3:23
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Chloe Angelides
  • Sean Myer
Demi Lovato singles chronology
"OK Not to Be OK"
(2020) 		"Still Have Me"
(2020) 		"Commander in Chief"
(2020)

"Still Have Me" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato. She cowrote the track with its producers Chloe Angelides and Sean Myer. The song was released as a buzz single by Island Records on September 30, 2020. Its lyrics involve self-love, enduring hardships, and healing.

Background

In July 2019, the song's co-writer Chloe Angelides posted a short snippet of the song on Instagram.[1] Further details were revealed when a fan who reposted the snippet on Twitter received a copyright takedown notice filed by the IFPI, which identified the song as a Lovato track called "Still Got Me", registered by Universal Music Group.[2]

On September 24, 2020, it was reported that Lovato had broken up with then-fiancé, actor Max Ehrich, two months after Ehrich proposed to her, ending their six-month relationship and calling off their engagement.[3][4][5] According to TMZ, Lovato wrote "Still Have Me" with her friends "a while ago", but after her split from Ehrich, she changed the lyrics to reflect the breakup, while retaining the hook of the song.[6] Citing unnamed sources connected to Lovato, TMZ reported that she became so increasingly frustrated with Ehrich's recent behavior, such as drawing comparisons between the breakup and Jeffrey Epstein, that she did not want to wait to release the song.[7]

Release

On September 29, Lovato teased an upcoming release in a tweet, writing: "Music is always there for me... song in the am",[8] before posting a screenshot of her tweet on Instagram.[9] On September 30, Lovato released the song on Instagram and Twitter as a video which contains the single artwork and the song's full audio. In the social media posts, she repeated the same sentence from the earlier tweet: "Music is always there for me..."[10][11]

However, the song was not made available on digital download and streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify immediately afterwards.[12][13][14] After Lovato released the song, her manager Scooter Braun replied to her Instagram post: "Now let's just get it up on streamers", with a Smiling Face with Open Mouth and Cold Sweat emoji.[15] YouTube records show that the song's audio was uploaded to the site almost ten hours later,[16] while Lovato announced general availability on all platforms over 14 hours after the initial release.[17] When asked on Twitter about the delayed release on streaming platforms, Braun wrote in a reply: "Working on it lol. She didn't give us a lot of time on this one."[18] He was also asked why he would let his client "leak her own song like that", to which he replied: "Music is for the soul. Her soul needed to speak. Not for me to get in the way of."[19] TMZ reported that Lovato "blindsided her team" by releasing the song on her own. According to sources with direct knowledge on the matter, after the premature release, her team "scrambled" to make the single available on music platforms, so as to allow her fans to purchase it and collect streaming numbers.[7]

Composition

"Still Have Me" is a pop ballad about self-loving and empowerment in the face of devastation and hardship,[2][20] with a soft piano melody throughout the track.[1] It has a length of three minutes and twenty-three seconds.[21] The track is thematically similar to "I Love Me", a song released by Lovato in March 2020, while having a more somber tone instead of being upbeat and high-energy.[22] It has also been compared to some of Lovato's previous tracks that reveal her vulnerability, such as "Anyone" and "Skyscraper".[15] "Still Have Me" is believed to be about the end of Lovato's engagement to Max Ehrich and their relationship shortly before the song's release.[23] While not directly referencing the breakup,[22] its lyrics explore a person's mind during a difficult time, having experienced a fall from a high point in life, but still possessing the strength and a strong will to overcome obstacles by oneself,[24][25] and attempts to go through the process of healing.[26][23]

Track listing

  1. "Still Have Me" – 3:23
Side A: "I Love Me" – 3:24
Side B: "Still Have Me" – 3:23

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal and YouTube.[21][16]

Charts

Chart (2020) Peak
position
Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[28] 43
France (SNEP Sales Chart)[29] 75
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[30] 30
Scotland (OCC)[31] 66
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[32] 16

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various October 15, 2020
Island [21]
February 5, 2021 LP [27]

References

  1. ^ a b Haylock, Zoe (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Emerges From Her Breakup With Powerful Ballad 'Still Have Me'". Vulture. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Rossignol, Derrick (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Has Finally Shared 'Still Have Me,' A Long-Rumored Fan Favorite". Uproxx. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  3. ^ Mier, Tomás; Chiu, Melody (September 24, 2020). "Demi Lovato and Max Ehrich End Their Engagement: 'It Was a Tough Decision,' Says Source". People. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Aiello, McKenna (September 25, 2020). "Demi Lovato and Max Ehrich Break Up 2 Months After Engagement". E!. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  5. ^ Bailey, Alyssa (September 25, 2020). "Why Demi Lovato Ended Her Engagement With Max Ehrich: 'She Doesn't Trust Him'". Elle. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  6. ^ Mahadevan, Tara C. (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Addresses Split From Max Ehrich in New Song 'Still Have Me'". Complex. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Demi Lovato Leaks Her Own Song About Split, Team Scrambles to Get it On Streaming". TMZ. September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  8. ^ Lovato, Demi [@ddlovato] (September 30, 2020). "Music is always there for me... song in the am" (Tweet). Retrieved October 1, 2020 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ Rice, Nicholas (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Teases New Song amid Split from Max Ehrich: 'Music Is Always There for Me'". People. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  10. ^ Bonner, Mehera (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Releases New Song 'Still Have Me' About Max Ehrich Breakup". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  11. ^ Kinane, Ruth (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato drops breakup ballad 'Still Have Me' after split from fiancé". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  12. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato drops new self-love ballad 'Still Have Me' 6 days after ending her engagement to Max Ehrich". Insider. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  13. ^ Betancourt, Bianca (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato's New Breakup Anthem, 'Still Have Me,' Proves That She'll Be Just Fine Without Max Ehrich". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  14. ^ Rowley, Glenn (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Unveils Somber Ballad 'Still Have Me' Following Max Ehrich Breakup: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  15. ^ a b Mier, Tomás (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Drops Breakup Song Days After Split from Max Ehrich: 'At Least I Still Have Me'". People. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  16. ^ a b Lovato, Demi (September 30, 2020). "Still Have Me". YouTube. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  17. ^ Lovato, Demi [@ddlovato] (October 1, 2020). "'Still Have Me' out now on all platforms" (Tweet). Retrieved October 1, 2020 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ Henderson, Taylor (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Addresses End of Engagement in New Track 'Still Have Me'". Pride. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  19. ^ "Demi Lovato Sings About Max Ehrich Heartbreak In Self-Leaked Song 'Still Have Me'". Capital. October 1, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  20. ^ Moniuszko, Sara M. (September 30, 2020). "'I'm a mess': Demi Lovato releases emotional song 'Still Have Me' after Max Ehrich breakup". USA Today. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d Lovato, Demi. "Still Have Me". Tidal. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  22. ^ a b Prance, Sam (October 1, 2020). "Demi Lovato moves on in powerful Still Have Me lyrics". PopBuzz. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  23. ^ a b Twersky, Carolyn (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Drops New Song 'Still Have Me' Days After Split with Max Ehrich and The Lyrics Are Heartbreaking". Seventeen. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  24. ^ Pierre, Mekishana (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Drops Soul-Baring Self-Love Anthem 'Still Have Me' Amid Breakup". PopSugar. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  25. ^ Vacco-Bolaños, Jessica (September 30, 2020). "Is Demi Lovato's "Still Have Me" About Max Ehrich? The Lyrics Have Deeper Meaning". Elite Daily. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  26. ^ Viswanath, Jake (September 30, 2020). "Demi Lovato Has The Last Word With Her New Breakup Track 'Still Have Me'". Bustle. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  27. ^ a b "Demi Lovato - I Love Me / Still Have Me Limited LP". Urban Outfitters. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  28. ^ "Demi Lovato Chart History (Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  29. ^ "Demi Lovato - Still Have Me". PureMédias. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  30. ^ "NZ Top 40 Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  31. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  32. ^ "Demi Lovato Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.

External links

Demi Lovato
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