Back in 2024, Demi Lovato received pretty harsh backlash after performing one of her top songs, Heart Attack, for an American Heart Association event.
Now, Demi Lovato responds to viral performance during an appearance on the Elvis Duran Show on Thursday, March 19. The singer, 33, famously sang her 2013 hit at the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection event.
Demi Lovato performs “Heart Attack” at the American Heart Association Event. https://t.co/6jC5cjplq0
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 2, 2024
When Heart Attack was performed, eyebrows were raised, with many questioning why she decided to play it. Fans immediately gave backlash, with X users posting about the performance, saying, “out of all the songs in her discography?” with a crying face. Another said, “She didn’t think this one through.”
Others actually praised her in the comments, with one person saying, “As a survivor herself she [chose] this song for a reason.”
However, Lovato has responded, saying that she was also reluctant to the song choice.
Demi Lovato explains why she sang “Heart Attack” at an American Heart Association event:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 19, 2026
“They asked me to sing that. I flagged it beforehand and was like, ‘Isn’t this, like, not the vibe?’ They were like, ‘No, they wanna hear it.’ I was like, ‘Okay?’ And then of course people… pic.twitter.com/agZlXVXAp4
“I want to say they asked me to sing that. Because I flagged it beforehand and was like, ‘Um, isn’t this like, not the vibe?’ And they were like, ‘No, they want to hear it,'” Lovato recalled on the show. “I was like, ‘Okay.’ And then of course, people online are like, ” Why did she sing that? And I’m like, ‘Y’all, it wasn’t me. I didn’t ask. I flagged it!'”
A representative of the star told Entertainment Weekly at the time that Lovato — who suffered a heart attack in 2018 after a drug overdose — spoke at the event “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. 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.”
The meaningful speech said: ““While my next song is about the intense feelings that come with falling in love, as well as heartbreak, opening yourself up, taking risks and not being afraid to do it again, this song has many parallels for me, my journey and a reminder for all of us in the room just how strong the mind-heart-body connection truly is.”
While this was meant to empower Lovato, it was also one of Lovato’s signature tracks since 2013’s release, and one she’s most known for. That’s probably another reason why they encouraged her to sing the track, even if it might not have seemed like the best option.
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