4/10
The former Disney Channel star and renowned singer Demi Lovato makes her long-awaited return with It’s Not That Deep, her ninth studio album and first release in over three years. After experimenting with pop, R&B, and rock throughout her career, Lovato now ventures into a blend of EDM and pop with an ambitious yet inconsistent album. As Lovato has leaned away from her Disney days, her songs have grown with her, incorporating more mature perspectives on romance. While the album features electrifying, rock-inspired production and showcases her signature vocals, its repetitive structure and filler tracks make It’s Not That Deep an uneven comeback rather than a striking reinvention.
The album opens with “Fast,” an explosive and fiery track that was released months before the rest of the album. Lovato’s vocals mesh perfectly with the song’s pulsing rhythm, perfectly capturing the thrill and adrenaline of new love. “I wanna go fast, I wanna go hard / I wanna go anywhere, anywhere you are / No matter how close, no matter how far,” Lovato sings. With its polished sound and emotional punch, “Fast” sets a promising tone for what’s to come, balancing depth with club-ready energy.
“Here All Night” completely diverges from “Fast”—but not in a good way. To put it lightly, it’s a mess. The throbbing beat is disproportionately loud, obscuring Lovato’s vocals. While the upbeat electronic tones are consistent with the rest of the album, the unoriginal bassline quickly grows tiresome. The chorus offers a moment of redemption with its catchy, karaoke-worthy hook—”Begging for the bass ‘til it’s hitting me right / Sweating on the dance floor under the lights,” she sings. Still, the song’s repetitiveness leaves a sour aftertaste. It’s like if Super Mario Kart threw a dance party—playful in concept but awkward in execution. The track’s juvenile, video game-style production clashes with Lovato’s maturity in the rest of the album, making “Here All Night” feel very out of place.
“Sorry To Myself” is one of the strongest tracks on the album, showcasing the classic Lovato vocal range fans fell in love with. The song leans into a dance-pop style but avoids the overproduction that hits other tracks, allowing her voice to take center stage. Lyrically, it reflects a moment of self-forgiveness after a self-destructive period, balancing vulnerability and empowerment. “I’m sorry to myself / For lying in the mirror saying ‘Oh, this is love’ / For lying in the mirror, pouring salt in the cut,” Lovato sings, making this one of the album’s most genuine and vulnerable tracks. Despite its emotional weight, the song maintains a catchy and well-balanced tune that balances honesty with mainstream appeal.
However, Lovato’s common repetitiveness continues with “Kiss,” a headache-inducing track weighed down by its gimmicky electronic intro and overly produced dance-pop tune. The song aims to celebrate spontaneity and fun but ends up feeling robotic, uninspiring, and just plain boring. “I kiss for fun (Ha), it’s fun to kiss (Woo) / I use my tongue (Ha) la-la-la-like this,” she sings, forcing a playful and flirtatious energy. “Kiss” lacks originality, a track listeners will likely want to, well, kiss goodbye.
The album ends with “Ghost,” a slower track that feels like a return to the powerhouse vocals of Lovato’s “Confident” era. Stripped of cluttered production that dominates much of the album, her raw and emotional vocals take center stage. ““I hope you flicker the lights / And send a chill down my spine, so cold,” she sings. This is the Lovato fans have missed—and one not showcased enough throughout the album.
It’s Not That Deep provides a contrast of success and failure. The album allows Lovato to reconnect with her fans through vulnerability and honestly, drawing inspiration from her past obstacles and current love life. While some tracks fall flat with repetitive beats and overproduction, others reveal emotional depth and powerhouse vocals that define Lovato’s best work.
