Fresh off her moving performance at the 2020 Grammys, Demi Lovato returned to the spotlight on Sunday, February 2 to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl in Miami, Florida. This is the 27-year-old singer’s second performance since her July 2018 overdose.
Like her Grammys performance—in which she debuted a new song, “Anyone”—Lovato’s take on the national anthem was arresting and poignant. Of course, she was met with rapturous applause after finishing the song.
Here are some reactions to Demi’s performance:
Demi Lovato has been through so much over the past two years. After her overdose, she was hospitalized and then subsequently went into treatment. She addressed this herself in August 2018 on Instagram.
“I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction,” she wrote at the time. “What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.”
She continued, “I want to thank God for keeping me alive and well. To my fans, I am forever grateful for all of your love and support throughout this past week and beyond. Your positive thoughts and prayers have helped me navigate through this difficult time. I want to thank my family, my team, and the staff at Cedars-Sinai who have been by my side this entire time. Without them I wouldn’t be here writing this letter to all of you. I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side. I will keep fighting.”
She seems to be in a much better place now. Shortly after her incredible Grammys performance, she took to Instagram and said, “What an unbelievable night. My first time back on stage in almost 2 years. So emotional for me. Thank you all for the love, support and for sharing this moment with me. I love you all.”
Watch Lovato’s Super Bowl performance, below:
