CHICAGO– During my eighth birthday party, my parents surprised me with a video announcing that I would be attending my first concert to see Demi Lovato. Watch the video: I screamed, I cried – it actually makes me emotional to watch it now!
I have loved Lovato since I was four years old watching her as Charlotte on “As the Bell Rings.” Enter “Camp Rock” and “Don’t Forget,” along with two older sisters who were also obsessed with her, and suddenly, I was a #1 fan.
In October 2025, Lovato released her ninth studio album, “It’s Not That Deep.” With a mainly dance-pop sound, it stands as proof that Lovato can adapt to any genre.
Demi Lovato came to Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026, and I knew I couldn’t miss it.
The concert opened with a performance by Adéla, who deserves her flowers beyond words. I cannot remember the last time I was so deeply captured by an opening act; her vocals, dancing, and set brought in her ballet background to electronic pop. I’ve been listening to her setlist non-stop ever since.
I was joined for this show by my two sisters and our childhood friend; we all grew up loving Demi Lovato, so it felt right to capitalize on our nostalgia and go together. We even made a TikTok making our predictions for the surprise song (SPOILER ALERT: one of us got it right!).
There are very few live performers like Lovato. She’s known for her powerful vocals and wide range, and they truly know how to capture an audience. She knows her fans; she knows what they want to hear and see.
The setlist for the “It’s Not That Deep Tour” checks every fan’s boxes: it plays the majority of her new album, some of her best throwbacks, and includes a surprise song.
I love the element of having a surprise song! I love the concept of having something special at each show (ie. Sabrina Carpenter “Nonsense” outros) that keeps the fans on their toes.
It’s honestly hard for Lovato to go wrong with the surprise song of each show. They have so many hits that resonate with all kinds of fans. I was mainly hoping for a throwback from the first three albums to truly recreate my first concert experience. Lovato picks a guest in the crowd to open an envelope with a number referring to which era she chooses a song from. The fan in the crowd of the United Center pulled a “2,” referring to her album “Don’t Forget,” as “Camp Rock” stands as “1.”
When I say we screamed, I mean I am surprised our vocal chords didn’t fall out. Knowing we got a song from the first album already felt like a win, and when they said the words “Get Back,” it was over. That was the song one of my sisters mentioned in our pre-show TikTok, and she was immediately bawling.
“Get Back” is like a heartbreak song gone rogue. By taking us to Lovato’s pop-punk days, we’re given the perfect scream song that we can sing while smiling.
Hearing songs like that made me more emotional than most. Yes, I was sobbing during “Ghost,” but I was nearly inconsolable by “Skyscraper.” It brought me back to my childhood, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how this is the person who sparked my love for live music, who I grew up watching on the TV, who I looked up to my entire life. She is so strong, and it is amazing to see how far she has come.
It is clear that Lovato has a hold on Chicago fans. When the music would stop, the arena would buzz with the nonstop screams from the crowd. At one point, the cheering went on for so long, that Lovato’s talking was cut short to go onto the next song. So, yes, Chicago’s love for her is, in fact, “that deep.” My sisters even ran into a fan who drove from Indiana to dance with fellow “Lovatics” in the pit.
Demi Lovato’s “It’s Not That Deep” tour is like living proof of Lovato’s undeniable success. Releasing their NINTH studio album is an accomplishment in and of itself, but to have a crowd of all ages screaming every single word to her discography, which spans over nearly two decades, is a different kind of achievement. Their impact as an artist is generational, and I got to see it first hand with my sisters, myself, and the girls behind us, who couldn’t be older than 12 years old.
I am so excited for Lovato as she proceeds on this amazing tour and continues to make an impact with her music.
Listen to “It’s Not That Deep” on Spotify and Apple Music.
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