Demi Lovato on Singing ‘Heart Attack’ for American Heart Association

Demi Lovato knew what you were thinking back in 2024 — and she agreed with you. In a new interview on the Elvis Duran Show, the singer addressed her controversial performance of “Heart Attack” for the American Heart Association.

The performance, part of her 10-song set for the Women Red Dress Collection Concert, was to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease. “They asked me to sing that,” Lovato said. “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, ‘OK?’”

Naturally, Lovato received a lot of backlash on the internet. “And then of course people online are like, ‘Why did she sing that?’” Lovato recalled. “Y’all, it wasn’t me! I flagged it!”

While onstage introducing the track, Lovato reportedly told the crowd, “While my next song is about the intense feelings that come with falling in love as well as heart break, 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.”

On Thursday, Lovato stopped by The Tonight Show to perform “Ghost,” off her recent album It’s Not That Deep. She also spoke to host Jimmy Fallon about her recent wedding to musician Jordan Lutes, which included a DJ set by Paris Hilton (“She’s so iconic,” Lovato said), and Goo Goo Dolls‘ John Rzeznik performing “Iris” (“He absolutely smashed it”). Next month, she’ll bring It’s Not That Deep on tour.