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Skin of My Teeth

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For the Megadeth song, see Skin o' My Teeth. For the biblical phrase, see Skin of my teeth.
"Skin of My Teeth"
Single by Demi Lovato
from the album Holy Fvck
ReleasedJune 10, 2022 (2022-06-10)
RecordedJanuary 2022
Genre
Length2:42
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Oak Felder
  • Alex Niceforo
  • Keith "Ten4" Sorrells
Demi Lovato singles chronology
"Breakdown"
(2021) 		"Skin of My Teeth"
(2022) 		"Substance"
(2022)
Music video
"Skin of My Teeth" on YouTube

"Skin of My Teeth" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato from her eighth studio album, Holy Fvck (2022). It was released on June 10, 2022, by Island Records, as the lead single from the record. She co-wrote the song with Oak Felder, Alex Niceforo, Keith "Ten4" Sorrells, Laura Veltz, and Lil Aaron, while its production was handled by the former three. A rock, pop-punk, and grunge track, "Skin of My Teeth" contains lyrics about society's criticisms about addictions and drug rehabilitation, as well as Lovato's own struggles. Its title references the biblical phrase of the same name.

The song received positive reviews from music critics, many of whom lauded its theme and the singer's vocals, drawing comparisons to the works of Hole—specifically their 1998 single "Celebrity Skin"—and Lady Gaga. The song failed to chart on the US Hot 100 or any major music chart internationally, although it appeared on parallel charts in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Nick Harwood directed the music video for "Skin of My Teeth", released alongside the song. It features Lovato confronting an ominous figure representing addiction and the media, as well as scenes of the singer performing with an electric guitar shooting out sparks. To support its release, Lovato premiered the track on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She included it on the regular set list of her seventh concert tour, the Holy Fvck Tour (2022), and performed it at several festivals.

Background and release

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In early 2022, Demi Lovato announced her departure from pop music as she held a "funeral" for it on her social media accounts.[1] The announcement included a photo with her team, including Scooter Braun, dressed in all-black.[2] Lovato started teasing what would be her eighth studio album, and told Rolling Stone that it would have some "heaviness" in its sound.[3] The magazine asked her if she was coming back to her "rock, emo early days", and she answered, "That, but better".[3] While sharing teasers of then-unreleased songs,[4] she wrote on Instagram stories that she was "so proud" of her new music,[5] and said that it was her "absolute best yet".[6] She labeled it as her return to her rock and pop-punk roots which she had experimented with on her first two albums, Don't Forget (2008) and Here We Go Again (2009).[7][8] She described it as a "new era reminiscent of [her] first era".[5][9]

On May 23, 2022, after several speculations, Lovato confirmed in a Twitter exchange that the lead single off the album would be called "Skin of My Teeth".[7][10] Days later, the song's release date and cover artwork, were revealed; the image features Lovato with dark makeup and an all-black outfit with spikes and chains.[2] On the same date, Lovato published a video with mock newspaper headlines about her, with the song playing in the background.[2] The singer announced the release of Holy Fvck on June 6.[11] "Skin of My Teeth" was released on June 10 for digital download and streaming.[12] Its release was promoted by billboards.[13]

Composition

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The track was produced by Oak Felder, co-produced by Alex Niceforo and Keith Sorrells, and written by Lovato and the three alongside Laura Veltz and Lil Aaron. All of them also provided background vocals. It was mastered by Chris Gehringer, while Oscar Linnander handled production assistance and recording. Manny Marroquin mixed it with assistance from Zach Pereyra, Trey Station, and Anthony Vilchis.[14]

Recorded in January 2022,[15] "Skin of My Teeth" is a electric guitar-driven[16] rock,[13] pop-punk,[17] and grunge[18] song. Described by Stereogum as "bright, fired-up arena-level",[17] it references Lovato's struggles with substance abuse,[19] with citation of drug rehabilitation and wanting to be free but failing due to the disease she was enduring.[20][21] In its lyrics, Lovato declares that she escaped death "by the skin of [her] teeth", a reference to the biblical phrase that describes a situation from which one has barely managed to escape.[13] Lovato previously opened up about becoming sober following her near-fatal overdose in 2018 on her documentary Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, published three years after.[13][22][23]

In the song's annotations on Genius, Lovato stated that the opening line of "Skin of My Teeth"—"Demi leaves rehab again"—references a rehab visit: "It was a headline that I saw multiple times and I just felt like it was no one’s business".[24] She also described as emotive the lyric "I'm your son and I'm your daughter, I'm your mother, I'm your father", which is meant to humanize addiction as a struggle that many individuals face.[25]

Critical reception

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Music critics found similarities between "Skin of My Teeth" and the 1998 single "Celebrity Skin" by American band Hole.[18][26][27] NPR also compared the vocal affectations of the song with "Born This Way" by American singer Lady Gaga.[27] They also described "Skin of My Teeth" as a fun listening experience and praised Lovato as having a "level of camp" in her art with genuineness and commitment to her music, unlike "other pop-punk revivalists".[27] Stereogum's Tom Breihan also noted this, praising Lovato for not having "the fake edginess" of other contemporary musicians of the genre.[17] The critic continued praising Lovato's "huge voice".[17] Ellise Shafer from Variety described the lyrics of "Skin of My Teeth" as "brutally honest", with "Lovato's powerhouse vocals urgently conveying [her] most upfront lyricism yet".[18] Danielle Chelosky for Uproxx also lauded her vocals for being "brazen and unafraid".[16]

Loudwire praised the track for tackling addiction, and described it as having "an immediate sense of urgency, opening with two snare hits and some chord strumming" after which Lovato begins to sing in a sardonic vocal tone.[21] The guitar tones in the song have "weight to them" with a "bouncing energy" that is reminiscent of "artists such as Pat Benatar and Joan Jett."[21] The magazine also ranked the single as the 68th best rock song of the year.[28] Writing for Insider Inc., Callie Ahlgrim included "Skin of My Teeth" on the list of the biggest snubs of the 65th Annual Grammy Awards nominations.[29]

Music video

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The official music video for "Skin of My Teeth" premiered on June 10, 2022. It was directed by Nick Harwood and produced by Shayna Giannelli.[30] The video begins with Lovato singing from a bathtub as an ominous figure reads headlines about her recent visit to rehab and stalks her with a camera. Eventually, the pair come face to face in a confrontation that Lovato wins, while she ends the song with a rain sequence that features her electric guitar shooting out sparks.[21] Vulture's Wolfgang Ruth said that the image of the figure haunting Lovato while sitting in a bathtub represented addictions,[31] while iHeartRadio's Rebekah Gonzalez said that it could be a personification of the media.[32] Regarding Lovato's dressing, Breihan found similarities with Joan Jett.[17]

Live performances

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Lovato performing "Skin of My Teeth" on the Holy Fvck Tour in September 2022

Lovato performed "Skin of My Teeth" for the first time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon hours before release. She appeared wearing all black, accompanied by a matching guitar, and surrounded by fog.[16][33] Chelosky described the performance as cathartic and "stronger than ever".[16] Lovato included "Skin of My Teeth" in the regular set list of her seventh concert tour, the Holy Fvck Tour, in 2022, as the last song before the encore.[34] Subsequently, she performed it at the 2022 edition of the Brazilian festival Rock in Rio, and also at the Illinois State Fair and Iowa State Fair.[35]

Credits and personnel

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Credits obtained from Lovato's official website.[36]

  • Demi Lovato – vocals, songwriting
  • Oak Felder – production, songwriting, recording, programming, background vocals, keyboards, engineering
  • Keith "Ten4" Sorrells – songwriting, programming, co-production, background vocals, guitar, bass, drums
  • Laura Veltz – songwriting, background vocals
  • Lil Aaron – songwriting, background vocals
  • Alex Niceforo – songwriting, co-production, background vocals, guitar
  • Oscar Linnander – recording, production assistance
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing
  • Zach Pereyra – mixing assistance
  • Anthony Vilchis – mixing assistance
  • Trey Station – mixing assistance
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering

Charts

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Chart performance for "Skin of My Teeth"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[37] 19
UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[38] 56
UK Singles Sales (OCC)[39] 58
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[40] 47
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[41] 13

References

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  1. ^ Bowenbank, Starr (January 21, 2022). "Demi Lovato Hosts 'Funeral' Mourning Their Pop Music, Teases New Rock Song". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Mendez, Michele (May 26, 2022). "Demi Lovato's 'Skin Of My Teeth' Release Date, Lyrics, & Music Video". Elite Daily. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Mier, Tomás (February 17, 2022). "Demi Lovato Is 'Good' with Being Alone. But Their New Winnetka Bowling League Collab Deals With Past Heartbreak". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  4. ^ C., Yashira (May 23, 2022). "Demi Lovato Unveils Lead Single From Upcoming Album". iHeart. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  5. ^ a b DeSantis, Rachel (May 25, 2022). "Demi Lovato Announces New Single 'Skin of My Teeth' After Teasing Pop Music Departure". People. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  6. ^ Medina, Dani (April 21, 2022). "Demi Lovato Says New Album Is Their 'Absolute Best Yet'". iHeart. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Henderson, Taylor (May 26, 2022). "Demi Lovato Teases Pop-Punk Song 'Skin of My Teeth'". Pride. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  8. ^ Carter, Emily (May 27, 2022). "Demi Lovato confirms release of new rock single, Skin Of My Teeth". Kerrang. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  9. ^ "Demi Lovato announces new single Skin of My Teeth". AsiaOne. May 26, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Aniftos, Rania (May 23, 2022). "Demi Lovato Reveals Lead Single of Upcoming Album". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  11. ^ Longo, Joseph (June 6, 2024). "Demi Lovato's 'Holy Fvck' Album Release, Tracklist, Tour, & Tickets". Elite Daily. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  12. ^ Dailey, Hannah (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato Drops 'Holy Fvck' Lead Single 'Skin of My Teeth': Stream It Now". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c d Sanchez, Rosa (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato's Vinyl Pants Had Scenes from Stephen King's Horror Classic Carrie". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  14. ^ "Holy Fvck Credits". Demi Lovato. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  15. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato Returns to Their Roots: 'This Is My Story, and I'm Going to Tell It'". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d "Demi Lovato Performs Of 'Skin Of My Teeth' On 'The Tonight Show'". UPROXX. June 10, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d e Breihan, Tom (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato Goes Pop-Punk On New Single "Skin Of My Teeth"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c Shafer, Elise (June 9, 2022). "Demi Lovato Goes Grunge, Gets Real About Addiction and Rehab in Autobiographical 'Skin of My Teeth'". Variety. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  19. ^ Kedem, Maia (June 10, 2022). "Listen to Demi Lovato's return to Rock: 'That's what I started singing'". Audacy. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  20. ^ Lisa Respers France (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato's 'Skin of My Teeth' addresses struggle with addiction". CNN. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  21. ^ a b c d DiVita, Joe. "Demi Lovato Confronts Addiction on New Rock Song 'Skin of My Teeth'". Loudwire. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  22. ^ Brow, Jason; Norwin, Alyssa (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato Admits 'I Can't Believe I'm Not Dead' In New Song 'Skin Of My Teeth'". Hollywood Life. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  23. ^ Grant, Sarah (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato Rails Against Their 'Fuckin' Disease' on New Song 'Skin Of My Teeth'". Spin. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  24. ^ "Demi leaves rehab again". Genius. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  25. ^ "I'm just tryin' to keep my head above water". Genius. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  26. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (August 19, 2022). "Demi Lovato – 'Holy Fvck' review: a sonic middle finger and a bold return to rock roots". NME. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  27. ^ a b c Cruz, Reanna (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato, 'Skin of My Teeth'". NPR. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  28. ^ "The 50 Best Rock + Metal Songs Of 2022". Loudwire. November 23, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  29. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (November 15, 2022). "The 10 biggest snubs of the 2023 Grammys nominations". Insider Inc. Insider Inc. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  30. ^ Barbosa, Jucilene (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato lança a cinematográfica 'Skin of My Teeth'; confira". Pop Now (in Portuguese). Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  31. ^ Ruth, Wolfgang (June 10, 2022). "Demi Rockvato Retvrns With 'Skin of My Teeth'". Vulture. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  32. ^ Gonzalez, Rebekah (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato Gets Real About Addiction On New Rock Song 'Skin Of My Teeth'". iHeart. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  33. ^ Longmire, Becca (June 10, 2022). "Demi Lovato Performs Their New Punk-Rock Track 'Skin Of My Teeth' For The First Time On 'Jimmy Fallon'". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  34. ^ Stossel, Jared (September 23, 2022). "Demi Lovato Rages at "Holy Fvck" Tour Stop in Sacramento: Review, Photos and Setlist". Consequence. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  35. ^ Smith, Carl (August 17, 2022). "Demi Lovato's Holy Fvck Tour setlist 2022 in full: What Demi sings at shows including Ashlee Simpson and Goo Goo Dolls covers, tour dates, what time they're on stage, support act and more". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  36. ^ "Holy Fvck Credits". Demi Lovato. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  37. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  38. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  39. ^ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. June 17, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  40. ^ "Demi Lovato Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  41. ^ "Demi Lovato Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
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