The Real Meaning Behind Demi Lovato's Cool For The Summer
With the re-release of some of her greatest hits, Demi Lovato is back on center stage. The Disney star has taken to recording some of her favorite songs in her new signature pop-rock style, and her new album "Revamped" features new renditions of songs like "Sorry Not Sorry," "La La Land," and fan favorite "Cool for the Summer." Originally released in 2015, "Cool for the Summer" was the leading track for her fifth album, "Confident." Lovato's sultry pop hit rose to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 20 weeks on the chart.
Nearly eight years later, it turns out that Lovato's hit song has quite the story behind it, as Lovato's music played a large role in her coming out journey. The subject of "Cool for the Summer" is an anonymous woman, Lovato revealed on "The Howard Stern Show." The song was also released before the singer had a chance to come out to her parents. But thanks to the not-so-subtle lyrics, which allude to a forbidden hook-up, she said that they already had an idea about her sexuality.
Upon its re-release, "Cool for the Summer" is now a point of interest for curious fans after Lovato hinted at her lover's hidden identity. These new anecdotes give our favorite summer anthem a whole new meaning.
Demi wrote Cool for the Summer about an anonymous fling
Recently, Demi Lovato admitted that "Cool for the Summer" was inspired by her fling with a fellow female celeb. Her approach to the secret hookup is reflected in the first verse: "Tell me if it's wrong, if it's right, I don't care/I can keep a secret, can you?"
"I was thinking about the hookups that I had had with a girl and decided to write this song," Lovato told "The Howard Stern Show". She confirmed that the woman was also famous, but that their relationship was never public: "Sometimes I write songs and I just leave them, let them be." Her beau's same-sex identity is further confirmed in the chorus: "Take me down into your paradise/Don't be scared, 'cause I'm your body type."
While Lovato said that she should have revealed the mystery woman's identity in the past, that moment has now passed. What's more, the "Camp Rock" alum claims that her old girlfriend has no idea she inspired "Cool for the Summer." Lovato also referenced the risks they took for the short-lived relationship: "Evеn if they judge, f** it, I'll do the timе/I just wanna have some fun, with you." When Lovato finally felt ready to address her sexuality in 2021, she opened up about her journey to becoming unapologetically queer.
Demi changed the lyrics to better represent her queer identity
Demi Lovato felt a duty to give her fans what they wanted, which included re-recordings of some of her deepest cuts and mainstream hits. When it came to "Cool for the Summer," Lovato didn't just add electric guitar to the chorus — she decided to update the lyrics as well. She switched "Don't tell your mother" to "Go tell your mother" upon the release of "Cool for the Summer (Rock Version)" in 2023.
The singer explained that this change was intentional, to reflect an acceptance of her queer identity. "It's proud, and I wanted that to be reflective," Lovato explained on "The Zach Sang Show." "When I first released the song, I wasn't in a place where I was comfortable enough in my sexuality to tell the world I was bi at the time, so the lyrics were reflective of where I was at emotionally, which was 'Don't tell your mother.'"
Ever a complex decision, Lovato took some time to accept the truth of her sexuality. She came out as pansexual in 2021 after ending her engagement to fellow actor Max Erich in 2020 (per Us Weekly). The Disney star shared that separating from Erich made her realize that she wasn't as "straight" as she thought she was. In the years since their split, Lovato most recently came out as nonbinary and updated her pronouns to she/her and they/them in 2023.