Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Dating Demi Lovato's Song '29' Seems to Call Out Age Gap with Ex Wilmer Valderrama: 'Had Me In Your Grip' "I would be lying if I said I didn't have a ton of anxiety about putting out this song," Lovato told Apple Music's Zane Lowe of the latest single off their upcoming album Holy Fvck By Jack Irvin Jack Irvin Jack Irvin has over five years of experience working in digital journalism, and he’s worked at PEOPLE since 2022. Jack started in the industry with internships at Rolling Stone and Entertainment Tonight, and he worked as a freelance writer for publications including Bustle, MTV News, Shondaland, L’Officiel USA, Ladygunn, Flood and PopCrush before joining PEOPLE. In his current role, Jack covers daily music news and has interviewed both up-and-coming and established artists including Dolly Parton, Michelle Branch, Ashanti, Cyndi Lauper, Normani, Carly Rae Jepsen and Coco Jones. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 17, 2022 01:44PM EDT Demi Lovato seems to be opening up about a controversial past relationship. The singer-songwriter dropped a new song from their upcoming album Holy Fvck on Wednesday titled "29," which seems to nod at the 12-year age gap between Lovato and ex-partner Wilmer Valderrama, whom they dated on-and-off from 2010 to 2016. "Petal on the vine / Too young to drink wine / Just five years a bleeder / Student and a teacher," Lovato sings in the track's first verse. "Far from innocent / What the f---'s consent? / Numbers told you not to / But that didn't stop you." Demi Lovato. Brandon Bowen The track's lyrics seem to find Lovato reflecting on the relationship as a now-29-year-old, knowing they wouldn't personally feel comfortable dating someone 12 years younger than them. "Finally 29 / 17 would never cross my mind / Thought it was a teenage dream a fantasy / But it was yours it wasn't mine," croons the musician on the final chorus of "29." Demi Lovato on Channeling 'Anger' and 'Sexuality' into New Album After 'Rough Time' Last Year While the song's lyrics seem to reference Valderrama, 42, Lovato (who uses both they/them and she/her pronouns) remained tight-lipped about its explicit meaning in a recent interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe. "When I turned 29, I remember I was on vacation and I just realized I'm 29 now, and it put things into perspective. It put everything into perspective," she told the radio host. "And I'm very careful with the way that I answer these questions because I feel like the song says it all." According to Lovato, turning 29 and attending a rehab program last year led to an emotional release she felt compelled to turn into song. "I would be lying if I said I didn't have a ton of anxiety about putting out this song. I just said, 'I have to go for this. I have to own my truth,'" continued the "Sorry Not Sorry" singer. "And I do still walk that line very finely." They concluded on the topic, "I've learned that sometimes saying less is more. And it's taken me to 30 years old to maybe learn that, but here I am approaching the way that I express myself differently in front of the media because it's OK to have boundaries." 'He Is the Love of Her Life': A History of Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama's Special Relationship Lovato and Valderrama started dating in 2010, and the musician explained their relationship's origin in her 2017 documentary Simply Complicated. "I met him on January 11, 2010," she recalled. "I thought, 'I have to have him,' but I was only 17 and he was like, 'Get away from me'," due to the age difference. Wilmer Valderrama and Demi Lovato. John Shearer/Getty "When I turned 18 we started dating," noted Lovato in the film. "I think it was love at first sight, we connected on a level that I've never connected with anybody before, he was just my rock, my everything." The couple took a break when Lovato entered treatment for physical and emotional issues in 2010, but reunited in November of 2011. They dated quietly for another few years before going public with their relationship in 2015. In June 2016, the pair jointly announced their split via Instagram, writing, "After almost 6 loving and wonderful years together, we have decided to end our relationship." Demi Lovato. Apple Music They've since remained friends, with the That '70s Show star visiting Lovato in the hospital following her July 2018 overdose. Earlier that year, a source told PEOPLE the stars were "super, super close and have a crazy love for each other" and said "a lot of their issues had to do with their age difference." "They're extremely close friends but there's always potential they could give a romantic relationship another try," said the insider at the time. Lovato's new album Holy Fvck will be released on Friday.