Demi Lovato just went makeup- and clothing-free in a daring new Vanity Fair photo shoot that she says was a spontaneous decision.
The singer, who filmed a music video for her appropriately titled single “Confident” this week, says in a behind-the-scenes video that she never would have thought she’d be able to do such revealing poses, but acted on impulse following the recent death of her great-grandfather, Buddy Moore.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned… it’s that life is too short,” she said of her loss. Of the shoot, she noted, “It’s empowering and it shows other women that you can get to a place where you can overcome the obstacles of body-image issues. And you can feel comfortable and confident in yourself.”
Demi has battled with eating disorders, substance abuse, and self harming in the past, but tells Vanity Fair, “I basically went from hating every inch of my body to working on myself and trying to figure out ways to love myself, love the skin that I’m in.”

Photographer Patrick Ecclesine writes of the late-night shoot, “Lovato and I worked in near silence, making our way through the hotel room, communicating with subtle gestures, nods, and tilts of the head. Lovato had rarely posed nude before, so I had to be respectful of that and tread lightly. When I left her at three in the morning, she gave me a quick hug and thanked me for making her feel pretty. I thanked her for her confidence.”
Demi’s album “Confident” drops October 16.