“29,” an unreleased song by Demi Lovato, is going viral on TikTok for lyrics that reference the 12-year age difference between the pop star and their ex, That ’70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama. The pair met when he was 29 and she was 17 and dated from 2010 to 2016. Update — 8/17: Lovato has now officially released “29.” Check out the lyric video below.
Lovato, who recently expanded their preferred pronouns to include she/her and they/them, is set to release the new album HOLY FVCK on August 19th, and the song “29” appears on the tracklist. The verses contain lyrics such as, “Petal on the vine/ Too young to drink wine/ Just five years of bleeders, student and a teacher/ Far from innocent/ What the fuck’s consent?/ Numbers told you not to/ But that didn’t stop you.”
Lovato told Complex in 2015 that Valderrama waited until she was 18 to pursue a relationship: “I was like, ‘Oh my god. You’re so attractive.’ And he was like, ‘You are not 18. Get away from me.’ Then we became really good friends, and he was there for me through a number of situations and breakups and whatever. Then as I got older and we grew closer, it was like, ‘Hey, maybe we should try this thing out.'”
It’s unclear if that was a lie meant to protect Valderrama, or if the anger in the new song “29” is about seemingly being groomed before turning 18. Lovato, who herself is 29, sings on the chorus, “Finally 29/ Funny, just like you were you at the time/ Thought it was a teenage dream, just a fantasy/ But was it yours or was it mine?/ 17, 29.”
As for the official releases, Lovato has previewed HOLY FVCK with “Skin of My Teeth” and “Substance.” Pre-orders are ongoing. Later this month, they’ll hit the road on a North American tour and tickets are available here.
