Demi Lovato on Channeling 'Anger' and 'Sexuality' into New Album After 'Rough Time' Last Year
Demi Lovato is once again getting real about her recovery journey.
In a PEOPLE exclusive preview of their interview with Zane Lowe airing Wednesday at 1 p.m. EST on Apple Music 1, the singer, 29, opens up about how a difficult period in 2021 — during which she quietly completed a rehab program — inspired their upcoming new album HOLY FVCK.
"Everything that I write about comes from personal experiences, and I had gone through a rough time last year," says Lovato, who has long been open about their struggle with addiction, including the lingering effects of an overdose in July 2018. "And I went back to treatment, and when I came out, I had all of this unresolved trauma that I hadn't dealt with or that I started to deal with in treatment. And then when I came out, I was like, 'It's OK to be angry and feel those things.'"
"So when I was making the album, in the first week, I had a lot of anger, and I think it showed in a lot of the songs, 'Freak,' 'Heaven,' 'Eat Me,'" she continues.
Apple Music Demi Lovato
At one point during the making of their album, Lovato says she shifted away from her anger and began writing songs "that were really empowered in my sexuality."
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"Towards the end, you've got love songs," says Lovato, whom a source told PEOPLE earlier this month is dating a fellow musician.
Elsewhere in the interview, Lovato describes the recovery process as "a lot."
"With time, comes trust," they say. "I never have come out of treatment, I mean, maybe the first time, expecting people to trust me right away. It was a learning experience of, OK, people are going to have to learn to trust you again. The only way they can do that is by you proving yourself and not just talking, but taking actions that are towards your recovery."
Apple Music Demi Lovato
Though they previously described themselves as "California sober," a term used by people who choose to use marijuana but abstain from alcohol, Lovato said in December that she had cut out the drug.
Apple Music Demi Lovato
Throughout their journey, Lovato says her family has been "incredible."
"I've had members of my family struggle with addiction, so they are very understanding of it, and they know what it's like," they say. "Do they worry to this day? Absolutely. That's never probably going to go away with what I put them through. And put myself through. And as a consequence of that, they ended up suffering."
RELATED VIDEO: Demi Lovato on Regaining The Trust of Loved Ones During Recovery
Lovato previously said in a statement that with HOLY FVCK — her eighth studio album featuring the singles "Skin of My Teeth" and "Substance" — she's "never been more sure of myself and my music."
"This record speaks that for itself," they said. "To my Lovatics who have been rocking out with me since the beginning and those who are just now coming along for the ride, thank you. This record is for you."
RELATED: Demi Lovato Says They 'Rarely Think About Substances' Anymore: 'I'm in Such Acceptance of My Life'
After the release of HOLY FVCK on Friday, Lovato will set out on tour in the fall with special guests DEAD SARA and Royal & The Serpent.
"I'm so excited to get back on the road after four years without touring, and even longer since I've toured in South America," Lovato previously said in a statement. "We're working so hard to deliver an incredible show for all my fans and I can't wait to see them in person to celebrate this new music."
Apple Music Demi Lovato and Zane Lowe
The "Stone Cold" singer previously offered fans a glimpse of what was to come on their Instagram Story, writing that they were "so proud" of the upcoming album.
"Getting emotional listening to my new album because I'm so proud of it," she wrote. "It's my absolute best yet and so representative of me, where I started and who I am today."
