Here’s Why Demi Lovato Decided to Perform “Heart Attack” at Cardiovascular Health Concert

Demi Lovato faced some backlash on social media after she performed her 2013 hit song “Heart Attack” at a cardiovascular health event earlier this week.

The track was among her 10-song set at the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert in New York City on Wednesday.

The Hollywood Reporter learned on Friday that the singer thought she wouldn’t be able to perform that song again following her heart attack and near-death experience several years ago. But she recently reclaimed the song for herself and expressed that to the audience, adding what it meant to her.

“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,” Lovato said when introducing the track.

After videos from the concert started to circulate online, some people questioned if the song was appropriate for that specific event. “I think ‘Heart Attack’ should have been left off that list, considering there was a roomful of people who have had heart attacks,” one person said on TikTok. “I just don’t know the motivation behind that one.”

However, other fans defended Lovato, noting that she experienced a heart attack herself after overdosing in 2018, which she shared in her 2021 docuseries Dancing With the Devil.

THR also learned that the American Heart Association supported the singer’s decision to perform “Heart Attack” and that it was well received by the crowd.

The Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert was to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease as well as funds to support research for lifesaving discoveries.