Still Alive (Demi Lovato song)

"Still Alive" is a song recorded by American singer Demi Lovato for the soundtrack to the 2023 slasher film Scream VI. She wrote it along with Laura Veltz and Linkin Park Mike Shinoda; the latter handled its production. Island Records released the song digitally on March 3, 2023, while Universal Music Group sent it to Italian radio airplay as the lead single from the album. It marked Lovato's first music release since her return to rock-infused styles with her 2022 studio album, Holy Fvck. A pop-punk song driven by electric guitars, "Still Alive" contains lyrics about surviving through a living hell.

Upon release, "Still Alive" received positive reviews from music journalists; several claimed that it felt like a Holy Fvck outtake track. It received a nomination at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards for Best Song. A horror film-themed music video for "Still Alive", directed by Jensen Noen, was broadcast on Good Morning America and released alongside the song. It intersperses scenes from the Melissa Barrera-starred film with clips of Lovato and a group of friends fighting off Ghostface. The video ends with a confirmation that the entire plot was part of a movie.

Background and release
American singer Demi Lovato returned to pop-punk and rock-infused music with the release of her eighth studio album, Holy Fvck, in August 2022, with a crucifixion imagery that was banned in the United Kingdom. Various musicians of the genre appeared on the album as featured guests. Holy Fvck became Lovato's eighth consecutive top ten album in the United States, and topped three Billboard charts: Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Top Alternative Albums.

Fans began to speculate about Lovato possible involvement in the Scream VI soundtrack in early February 2023. She responded on Twitter to a post claiming the release of "Still Alive" with an eye emoji, although without confirming anything. The singer hinted at the song's release after sharing a phone number and a link which led fans to a brief teaser complete with a Ghostface (Roger L. Jackson) intro and audio clip of "Still Alive". Lovato announced the song, along with its release date and cover artwork, on her social media on February 15. The artwork shows Lovato with a dagger reflecting the image of Ghostface. In a press release, Lovato said: "I couldn't think of a more perfect home for 'Still Alive' than within the Scream universe, I'm a huge fan of the films, so it's an honor to contribute to such an iconic horror franchise". On the following day, she posted an snippet of the song via her TikTok account, and received good reception from fans. "Still Alive" was released as the lead single from the album and sent to Italian radio airplay.

Composition
Lovato, Laura Veltz, and Linkin Park co-founder Mike Shinoda wrote the track; the latter also produced it. "Still Alive" is a pop-punk song,  a subgenre of punk rock, following Lovato's return to these music styles in 2022. The song incorporates sludge metal guitars, drum patterns, and other characteristics of the genre. In its lyrics, Lovato expresses herself about surviving through a living hell, which echoes her previous mental struggles. The chorus' lyrics ("Already died a thousand times / Went to hell but I’m back and I’m breathing / Make me bleed while my heart is still beating / Still alive") were compared by Billboard to Lovato's 2018 drug overdose, in which she "came very close to losing it all." In an interview at the film's premiere, the singer stated that "Still Alive" has personal meaning for her, as she wanted to express herself and "tell the world how [she is] still alive as well".

Critical reception
Following the song's release, several music critics agreed that "Still Alive" felt like an outtake track from Holy Fvck and would have had "perfect cohesion". Adrianne Reece for Elite Daily wrote that "Still Alive" is a "sickening reminder" that Lovato belongs in punk rock, and described its lyrics as tantalizing. The critic also said that Lovato showcases her strength throughout the track. Billboard Stephen Daw included "Still Alive" on a list of Best Queer Releases of the Week, and described the song as a masterclass, and "an excellent addition" to Lovato's rock catalog. Vanessa Maki of The Mary Sue opined that it suited the Scream VI film, and called the song a banger and a "single that almost everyone should check it at least once". For Music Talkers, Phil Arnold praised Lovato's vocals on the track and its production, which "take you on a real journey of music". At the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, the song received a nomination in the category Best Song from a Movie; it lost to Taylor Swift "Carolina".

Music video
The music video for "Still Alive" premiered on Lovato's Vevo channel on YouTube at midnight EST on March 3, 2023. It was also broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company television show Good Morning America. The video was directed by Jensen Noen and produced by Phoenix Vaughn, Tanner Gordon and Veronika Graves, and features cameos by Mike Shinoda, co-writer and producer of the song, and Spencer Charnas, which stated that he's "honoured to have a little cameo" in the video for "one of [his] all time favourite movie franchises."

It starts with Lovato showing up at a hotel with a group of friends. She hands an invitation to a hotel worker, that reads "Do you like scary movies?." Lovato and her friends sit down for a screening of the film. The video also contains scenes taken from the film starring Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere, and Courteney Cox. The screening stops and the person in charge of it, drops dead and Ghostface appears to attack Lovato and her friends as they try to fight off him and escape. By the end of the video, Lovato manages to finish off the villain and it ends up being that it was all part of the screening.

The video also generated favorable reviews. Maki praised Lovato's style for being "very mature [and] alt", and the presence of Shinoda which generated interest in the public. Arnold said that the video "makes the concept [of the song] a little easier to follow and grasp, but is also beautifully cinematic in the way it is put together". The Honey Pop Rachel Finucane called it eye-catcher, and said that the predominant black and blue colors "work perfectly".