Voice of reason
Demi Lovato speaks up about mental health awareness
DURING a recent interview on iHeartRadio, 24-year-old pop singer Demi Lovato spoke about the death of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, who committed suicide on July 20.
The 41-year-old father of six children had previously opened up about his struggles with drepression. Lovato herself has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and has a history of substance abuse and self-harm.
"It's a very unfortunate situation and I feel terrible for (Bennington's) friends and family, but I know that maybe this will raise the topic into conversation around mental illness, mental health and help somebody'', she said.
Lovato believes that by sharing her story, she could also help others facing the same problems. ''I think it's very important that people raise the importance of mental health because it's somehing that's so taboo to talk about. The more people know about it, the more people are going to be able to find solution to what they're going through.'' The outspoken singer is also aware that she could utilise her fame to do more for an important cause.
''It's important to speak about the things you believe in, because your voice will be heard no matter what position you're in. I just happen to be in a position where more people would hear my voice than they would have 10-15 years ago, so I use my voice to do more than just sing.''
Lovato currently has a new single out called Sorry Not Sorry. In a separate interview with Billboard, she revealed that a new album is due this year. Her last studio album Confident, which featured hit single Cool For The Summer, was released in 2015.
"I'm releasing an album later this year, so my fans can look forward to that. It's more soulful and I want to go more R&B with it.''