Demi Lovato released a new music video with tons of references
photo: Splash News

Demi Lovato is back with new music, and it's some of her most meaningful work ever.

The artist's upcoming album features songs about recovery and loving herself again. "I Love Me," her latest single, is an empowering anthem about accepting every version of yourself. Lovato recently went on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and talked about what led to her 2018 near-fatal overdose and a long-time eating disorder. 

Then, she dropped a music video that had so many hidden references and Easter eggs hinting at all of her past selves. One of the most notable was her reference to Camp Rock, which had Disney and O.G. Lovatics freaking out.

The "I Love Me" music video is so empowering.

Lovato confronts different versions of herself in this empowering bop. The singer physically fights herself, showing off her blue belt level jiu-jitsu in the beginning, and then as she walks the streets of New York City, she sees all of her different life phases. That's where fans noticed Demi Lovato as Mitchie in Camp Rock jamming on the street.

Disney fans were literally shook by the throwback reference.

Demi Lovato music video "Camp Rock" reference
photo: YouTube/DemiLovato

Almost instantly, I noticed that the girl in the background looked like Lovato in the Disney musical classic. As an avid Camp Rock viewer, anyone one would recognize the maroon shirt, bangs, and Nick Jonas's plaid flannel. Lovato looks on admiringly at the Disney Channel star version of herself.

The hair and outfit were totally on point.

Those blunt bangs were peak Disney Channel-Lovato. Fans quickly pulled up some old Camp Rock photos for comparison, and sure enough they were identical. One fan tweeted, "Yo did anyone else notice that subtle nod to Camp Rock in @ddlovato new video?"

There were two Jonas Brothers references in the video.

Lovato hired a few Jo Bro look-alikes for her Camp Rock moment and to throw a little shade. The brothers were some of her closest Disney Channel friends growing up, but they seem to have drifted apart in the past few years. She walks past a trio of boys dressed in snazzy jackets that seem to represent the iconic boy band. 

Lovato's self-confrontation begins with a literal reference to her Barney years.

In one moment, she hired an actor who looks just like her mom and had two little girls wearing bandannas meant to symbolize she and Selena Gomez as Barney kids. Clearly having such a young start in the entertainment industry affected Lovato deeply, but now she's trying to embrace her life and truth. 

"There's power in Demi walking by all of her past selves (Barney & Friends w Sel & Camp Rock) BUT at the end when she walks past the girl on the stretcher. WOW. ilysm @ddlovato," one fan of the video tweeted.

Lovato even referenced her ex Wilmer Valderrama and his new bride.

One fan was seriously impressed by the detail Lovato went in her Easter eggs. They wrote, "the camp rock reference, the jonas brothers shade, wilmer walking past her and his bride, the ambulance. i’m crying but also so [redacted] proud of her like woah look at our [redacted] serving. DEMI LOVATO THATS THE TWEET #ILoveMe." 

An actor who looked a lot like Valderrama walked past, holding hands with a blond bride (Valderrama's current fiancée is blond), but Lovato looked happy for them, as she has moved on. 

It appears as if Lovato, in this video, has finally accepted every part of herself, and we're so happy for her.

The video even featured a heart-wrenching moment in which Lovato placed her hand on a woman on a stretcher, symbolizing her life-threatening overdose. The upbeat nature of the song and empowering lyrics prove that she is accepting and loving even the darkest parts of her past. 

One fan was so happy for her and tweeted, "It’s like seeing @ddlovato be herself again in the video for #ILoveMe... I love it. The references too... Camp Rock, the overdose, her childhood, Jonas brothers... Everything is there, I’m obsessed. She’s such a queen! Congrats #DemiLovato."