Demi Lovato's 'dream collaboration' is Hayley Williams

Demi Lovato’s “dream collaboration” is still Hayley Williams.

The ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ singer was inspired to switch up her sound by noughties pop rock stars Kelly Clarkson, Ashlee Simpson and Paramore.

And while discussing the heavier direction of her forthcoming album, ‘Holy Fvck’, Demi put it out into the world that she would still very much like to duet with the ‘Misery Business’ group’s lead singer.

Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Mu 1, she said: “One influence that really changed where I wanted to go directionally into mu was Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since U Been Gone’. It was a monster record. And I saw the transformation of her as an artist go from R’n’B soul pop to pop rock. And I was like, wait, that’s what I want to do. And there’s also Ashlee Simpson ‘LaLa’, and I was like, I want to do that. So I got inspired and then I found bands like Paramore and Flyleaf. I’ve known Hayley since … I think I met her when I was 15. She seems like the type of person that would be pulling for me during those times. But yeah. I didn’t get to know her that well, but she’s one of my biggest influences vocally. Oh my God. I mean she’s still my dream collaboration. It’s never happened, but she’s still my dream collaboration. To be honest, I gave up on that dream collaboration. So I didn’t say it for years, but that’s always been my dream collaboration.”

Elsewhere in the wide-ranging interview, Demi admitted she previously chased radio hits and lost sight of the artist she truly is.

The ‘Cool for the Summer’ singer felt “miserable” singing the songs on stage and despised dressing in leotards in heels because that wasn’t her style.

However, she has since been on a road to discovering herself again.

She recalled: “When I started my first two albums, I feel like my instincts were on track and I was doing the mu that I loved listening to. And then I strayed away from it because I thought, ‘Well, I want radio songs.’ You know what I’m saying? I want songs that are going to be played on the radio, so I started doing more pop mu. And I started to lose myself as well as myself as an artist … and honestly, it didn’t reflect what was inside of me. And I would get on stage, and I’d be in these leotards and these stiletto shoes that I was miserable in. And I danced. I did choreography and stuff like that, and I just wasn’t happy. And so I think that that led to me completely losing myself to find myself again, and I’ve started to find myself over time. And it’s funny that when you just go back to who you were in the beginning, as a 15-year-old, my instincts were correct. And I just got to stick to those but harder.”