There’s ‘on the nose’ and then there’s singing a song about heart attacks to heart attack survivors.
The singer, 31 – – made an appearance at the American Heart Association this week one of their biggest hits.
Demi – – belted out their 2013 tune Heart Attack, leaving fans scratching their heads when footage surfaced online, given what the fundraiser was in aid of.
The annual event – named the Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert – raises awareness about cardiovascular disease so, naturally, out of all the songs in Demi’s discography they could’ve chosen, people were baffled when they realised how ‘dark’ the lyrics were.
TikTok user Shaun Gray commented underneath a viral video: ‘How did this get pitched in the first place? I want that POV.’
Molly Poppins commented: ‘She knew what she was doing, I love it 😂 Look how viral it’s gone and how many more people know now!’
Others said they were ‘losing their minds’ and blasted the singer as ‘not real’.
There were also plenty of suggestions for songs Demi could’ve performed instead, including their tunes Give Your Heart A Break and Fix A Heart.
For the most part, however, people took the irony in good spirit, laughing particularly hard at the moment mid-song where Demi reached the microphone out so an audience member could sing.
User238910 wrote: ‘I have heart issues and this is funny to me 😂’
‘As someone with heart failure, I’m screaming 😭😅’, commented xocatherina.
While the whole scenario is, without a doubt, incredibly wild, there is method to Demi’s apparent madness.
They gave a speech prior to the performance, in which they reflected on their own experiences.
According to reports, Demi told the crowd that they chose to sing Heart Attack in a bid to ‘reclaim’ the song, having previously refused to perform it since their overdose because of
‘While my next song is about the intense feelings that come with falling in love as well as heartbreak, 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,’ they said.
The AHA was supportive of Demi’s decision to sing Heart Attack, while attendees loved their performance – phew!
Adding further explanation, a representative for Demi told: ‘It was a sensitive moment intended to champion the women in the room — the very reason why Demi was at the event.
‘She did open with a beautiful intro on why she chose the song and addressed the room, talking about the mind and heart connection. It was actually a beautiful moment.’
An attendee also confirmed to the outlet that the former Disney star made it clear before their performance why they were singing that controversially titled track.
Taking to Instagram once the event was over, Demi voiced their support for the organisation to their millions of followers.
‘Tonight is all about reminding women how important it is to advocate for ourselves and prioritise our health. Join me and @american_heart and @goredforwomen as we Go Red for Women!’, the award-winning star penned.
Demi – who has been open about their and mental illness over the years – had a heart attack themselves
‘I snapped,’ they stated in their Dancing with the Devil documentary.
‘I had three strokes, I had a heart attack. My doctors said that I had five to 10 more minutes [to live].’
