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Substance (song)

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For the song by Haste the Day, see Burning Bridges (Haste the Day album).

"Substance"
Lovato sitting in a sphere with black liquid coming out of it
Single by Demi Lovato
from the album Holy Fvck
ReleasedJuly 15, 2022
StudioSuCasa (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length2:40
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Oak
  • Alex Niceforo
  • Keith Sorrells
Demi Lovato singles chronology
"Skin of My Teeth"
(2022) 		"Substance"
(2022) 		"29"
(2022)
Music video
"Substance" on YouTube

"Substance" is a song by the American singer Demi Lovato from her eighth studio album, Holy Fvck (2022). Island Records released it on July 15, 2022, as the album's second single. Lovato co-wrote the track with Jutes, Laura Veltz, and its producers, Alex Niceforo, Keith Sorrells, and Warren "Oak" Felder. Musically, it is a pop-punk and alternative rock track that incorporates electric guitars and drums. The lyrical content of the song centers on a criticism of society and the lost connection in a virtual world, following the COVID-19 lockdowns and the exhaustion it entailed. It also evokes Lovato's personal struggles with addiction and mental health.

Cody Critcheloe directed the music video for "Substance", which was released alongside the song. With appearances by Paris Hilton and the Lovato impersonator Demetria Cherry, it sees Lovato in several sets and contains a reference to the American anti-drug campaign This is Your Brain on Drugs. Upon its release, the song received praise from music critics, mainly towards its lyrics. Commercially, it reached component charts in New Zealand and the United States. Lovato promoted "Substance" with live performances on various television programs, and as part of the set list of the Holy Fvck Tour (2022) and shows at music festivals.

Release

[edit]

Demi Lovato returned to rock-infused music with her eighth studio album, Holy Fvck. Teased since the beginning of 2022 with the stage of a "funeral" for her previous pop music,[1] it was first preceded by the first single, "Skin of My Teeth", in June 2022.[2] On June 30, 2022, Lovato announced the release of its follow-up titled "Substance".[3] She shared its cover artwork, which depicts the singer sitting in a sphere with black liquid.[3] The singer also uploaded a video singing along to a part of the song.[4] Days later, Lovato uploaded a video with the track playing as the background audio and captioned it with, "Working on something for y'all".[5]

The track list of Holy Fvck was revealed to include "Substance" as the third track.[6] The song was released on July 15, 2022, as the album's second single.[1][7] Commercially, "Substance" failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, while peaking at number 37 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.[8] It also reached number 34 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart issued for July 22, 2022.[9]

Composition

[edit]

"Substance" is two minutes and forty seconds long.[10] Lovato, Laura Veltz, Jordan Lutes, Oak Felder, Keith Sorrells, and Alex Niceforo wrote it, while the latter three handled its production.[11] Felder recorded the track at SuCasa in Los Angeles and played keyboards. He programmed it with Sorrells, who played other instruments alongside Niceforo. Manny Marroquin worked on the mixing with assistance from Chris Galland, Zach Pereyra, and Anthony Vilchis, while Chris Gehringer was in charge of its mastering.[12]

Musically, "Substance" is a pop-punk and alternative rock song[13] led by electric guitars and drums.[14][1] Hannah Dailey of Billboard believed that the instrumentals were similar to those from late-1990s and early-2000s emo songs,[1] while the author Sowing from Sputnikmusic compared it to the early discography by the American rock band Paramore.[15] The lyrics of "Substance" are a criticism to the lost connection in a world led by virtual relations.[16] It also evokes Lovato's personal struggles with drug addiction and mental health.[17] For Genius, Lovato questioned if "have we all lost the substance of human connection and being in the present moment?"[18] Billboard's Stephen Daw linked the song lyrics to the COVID-19 lockdowns, which started two years before the song's release, and the society's exhaustion that it entailed.[16]

Critical reception

[edit]

Daw added "Substance" to a Billboard list of the best songs from its release week by queer musicians. The critic praised Lovato's vocal performance as "better-than-ever" and described the track as anthemic.[16] Bailey Richards from Paper positively compared its sound to Lovato's 2008 single "La La Land", writing that she had "bigger things to be upset about than not being able to wear their converse with their dress".[a] Richards also praised her "signature powerhouse" vocals.[17] In a review of Holy Fvck, Pitchfork's Olivia Horn applauded the "cheeky wordplay" of "Am I the only one looking for substance?", and said that it "helps save the song from its hand-wringing generalizations".[20] Callie Ahlgrim of Business Insider named "Substance" the seventh best track on Holy Fvck and lauded its double entendre of searching for meaning and Lovato's own life with addiction struggles.[21] In 2023, Jeffrey Davies of PopMatters ranked "Substance" at number 14 on a ranking of the best Lovato songs up to that year; he praised its authenticity and said that it "flips the bird to every boundary ever imposed on her".[13]

Music video

[edit]

The music video for "Substance" was directed by Cody Critcheloe[22] and released alongside the song.[1] It contains appareances by the drag queen and Lovato impersonator Demetria Cherry and the American media personality Paris Hilton.[23][24] Lovato wears nostalgic outfits throughout the video.[25] Emily Zemler of Rolling Stone said that it evokes 1990s and 2000s pop-punk music videos,[11] and Rebekah Gonzalez from iHeartRadio believed that it was "raucous" and "as fed-up as the song's lyrics".[18]

The video shows Lovato with a bob cut and bangs in business meetings and television sets.[18][25] In the former, she smashes a glass music certification with a baseball bat and intentionally falls from the window. The singer later paints the album's title on a wall.[1] A scene references the American anti-drug campaign This is Your Brain on Drugs.[25] Other scenarios from the video include a diner and a house party.[11] At the end of the video, Lovato goes to a red carpet and gets on a pink motorcycle with Hilton before they stare at the camera and light a dynamite.[11][18]

Live performances

[edit]

On July 14, 2022, Lovato performed "Substance" live for the first time on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. She wore a black and punk-inspired outfit and was backed by a band that included the American guitarist Nita Strauss.[2] On July 27, Lovato posted a video rehearsing for her then-upcoming concert tour with "Substance" in the background, accompanied by an all-female band.[26] The song was included in the regular set list of her seventh concert tour, the Holy Fvck Tour, in 2022. Lovato sang it while playing guitar as part of the first high-energy songs of the shows.[27] Subsequently, she performed it at the 2022 edition of the Brazilian festival Rock in Rio, and also at the Illinois State Fair and Iowa State Fair.[28] Lovato performed the track on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on August 17,[29] and again two days after on Good Morning America.[30]

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Obtained from Lovato's official website.[12]

  • Demi Lovato – vocals, songwriting
  • Warren "Oak" Felder – production, songwriting, recording, programming, keyboards
  • Keith "Ten4" Sorrells – songwriting, co-production, programming, guitar, bass, drums
  • Alex Niceforo – songwriting, co-production, guitar
  • Jutes – songwriting
  • Laura Veltz – songwriting
  • Oscar Linnander – recording, production assistance,
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing
  • Chris Galland – mixing engineering
  • Zach Pereyra – mixing engineering
  • Anthony Vilchis – mixing engineering
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Substance"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[9] 34
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[31] 37

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Lovato uses both she/her and they/them pronouns.[19] While this article uses the former pronouns for consistency, the Paper source uses the latter.[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Dailey, Hannah (July 15, 2022). "Demi Lovato's Angry New Song & Video for 'Substance' Are Here: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  2. ^ a b DiVita, Joe (July 15, 2022). "Nita Strauss Joins Demi Lovato's Band, Plays New Song 'Substance' on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'". Loudwire. Archived from the original on February 5, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Long, Danielle (June 30, 2022). "Demi Lovato announces new song 'Substance'". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  4. ^ Najib, Shafiq (June 30, 2022). "Demi Lovato Teases New Single 'Substance' from Upcoming Album 'HOLY FVCK'". People. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  5. ^ C., Yashira (July 2, 2022). "Demi Lovato Debuts Jaw-Dropping New Look". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  6. ^ Carter, Emily (July 15, 2022). "Demi Lovato unleashes pop-punk anthem SUBSTANCE, unveils HOLY FVCK tracklist". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  7. ^ Qureshi, Arusa (July 15, 2022). "Demi Lovato suffers facial injury ahead of 'Jimmy Kimmel' appearance". NME. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  8. ^ Denis, Kyle (August 19, 2022). "Demi Lovato's 'Holy Fvck' Is Finally Here: Stream It Now". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 25, 2022. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Lovato, Demi. "Holy Fvck". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on February 12, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d Zemler, Emily (July 15, 2022). "Demi Lovato Evokes Old School Pop-Punk in 'Substance' Music Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Holy Fvck Credits". Demi Lovato. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Davies, Jeffrey (March 29, 2023). "The 25 Best Demi Lovato Songs". PopMatters. Archived from the original on January 20, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  14. ^ Dailey, Hannah (July 14, 2022). "Demi Lovato Injures Face, Needs Stitches Ahead of 'Jimmy Kimmel' Appearance". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  15. ^ Sowing (August 19, 2022). "Review: Demi Lovato - Holy Fvck". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  16. ^ a b c Daw, Stephen (July 15, 2022). "First Out: New Music From Demi Lovato, Omar Apollo, Tegan and Sara & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  17. ^ a b c Richards, Bailey (July 15, 2022). "Demi Lovato's 'SUBSTANCE' Video Is Chaotic Perfection". Paper. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d Gonzalez, Rebekah (July 15, 2022). "Demi Lovato Taps Paris Hilton For A Dynamite Cameo In 'Substance'". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  19. ^ Irvin, Jack (August 2, 2022). "Demi Lovato Explains Why She Started Using She/Her Pronouns Again in Addition to They/Them". People. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  20. ^ Horn, Olivia (August 19, 2022). "Demi Lovato: Holy Fvck Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 7, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  21. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (August 19, 2022). "Every song on Demi Lovato's new album 'Holy Fvck,' ranked from worst to best". Business Insider. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  22. ^ Breihan, Tom (July 15, 2022). "Demi Lovato Visited Kimmel With A Dimmu Borgir Story After Gashing Their Head On A Crystal". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  23. ^ Frank, Jason P. (July 15, 2022). "Demi Lovato Searches for 'Substance' and Finds Paris Hilton". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  24. ^ Long, Danielle; Costantino, George (July 15, 2022). "Demi Lovato releases new song, 'Substance,' reveals track list for upcoming album". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  25. ^ a b c Legardye, Quinci (July 17, 2022). "Demi Lovato is Pop Punk Royalty in Their New "Substance" Video". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  26. ^ Kaufman, Gil (July 28, 2022). "Watch Demi Lovato Rip Through 'Substance' Rehearsal With New Guitarist Nita Strauss". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  27. ^ Stossel, Jared (September 23, 2022). "Demi Lovato Rages at "Holy Fvck" Tour Stop in Sacramento: Review, Photos and Setlist". Consequence. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  28. ^ Smith, Carl (August 17, 2022). "Demi Lovato's Holy Fvck Tour setlist 2022 in full: What Demi sings at shows including Ashlee Simpson and Goo Goo Dolls covers, tour dates, what time they're on stage, support act and more". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  29. ^ Zemler, Emily (August 17, 2022). "Watch Demi Lovato's Punk-Inspired Performance of 'Substance' on 'Fallon'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  30. ^ Kaufman, Gil (August 19, 2022). "Demi Lovato Talks Rocking Into Her Third Decade on 'GMA': 'It's a Milestone'". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  31. ^ "Demi Lovato Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
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