Demi Lovato drops 'Dancing With the Devil … The Art of Starting Over'

Demi Lovato has released a new album, her seventh studio album to date.

Following a revealing new YouTube docuseries of the same name Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, the album features collaborations with Noah Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Sam Fischer and Saweetie.

The US pop star, known for hits including Skyscraper and Neon Lights, took to social media to announce the release, writing: "This has been a journey years in the making… I can't believe it's here. Please listen to the tracks in order, top to bottom, for me. I love you all."

The album comes after Lovato's highly-anticipated YouTube Original documentary was released at this year’s South by Southwest festival in March. Directed by Michael D Ratner, the docuseries explores the aspects that led to Lovato’s near-fatal overdose and her handling of the aftermath.

In 2018, the pop star was taken to hospital after she was found unconscious at her Los Angeles home. At the time, Lovato had been six years sober, following treatment for alcohol and drug addictions.

The confessional thread of that YouTube series continues across the new studio album.

Containing a massive 19 tracks it has hits entitled My Girlfriends Are My Boyfriend, ICU, The Way You Don't Look At Me and Mad World.

The title track Dancing With The Devil contains the line "Almost made it to heaven, it was closer than you know", in reference to the singer's overdose.

The opening ballad Anyone is an intense song where Lovato refers to how she had been crying out for help and attention. It's the same track that she teared up over when singing at the 2020 Grammy Awards ceremony.

Melon Cake references the strict diets she has been made to follow by those managing her career, with lyrics such as "People out here gettin' fired for chocolate in the backseat."

With over 101 million followers on Instagram, Lovato has lived her life in the glare of the public eye. The star found fame on the television series Barney & Friends, then rose to prominence as Mitchie Torres in the musical television film Camp Rock.

Turning to music, she released her first studio album in 2008 when she was 15 years old. It debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 Chart.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

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