Father’s Day is often an emotional and bittersweet time for Demi Lovato.
And this year is no exception, from the sounds of her Instagram tribute to her late father, Patrick Lovato, who died of cancer in June 2013 after having a “complicated” relationship with him.
“Happy Father’s Day to my greatest guardian angel,” she captioned a photo of herself and her father. “I feel you with me every day … I love you and miss your father.”
The Albuquerque, New Mexico native also shared her “love” for stepfather, Eddie De La Garza, who has been married to her mother since August 1995, with a special shout out.
And to my dad @eddie.delagarza – I love you so much! I wish you were here to celebrate!’ she gushed in a photo of her sitting next to her stepdad before adding, “Have a nice day and of course Happy Father’s Day!”
Dad tribute: Demi Lovato, 30, shared a heartfelt tribute to her late dad, Patrick Lovato, on Father’s Day, 10 years after he died of cancer
Father Tribute: The pop star also shared a tribute to her stepfather, Eddie De La Garza
After posting the two pictures of her biological father and stepfather, the For Love Of A Daughter singer went on to explain her experience with her fathers and how she can relate to many of her fans and followers.
“Father’s Day isn’t easy for everyone and I want to acknowledge that,” the 30-year-old began. “Some people don’t have a relationship [with] their fathers, some people have complicated relationships [with] their fathers, others have lost theirs and I know what it’s like too.’
Lovato ended the post, “It’s not an easy day for everyone and I want you to know if you relate, it’s okay. I see you and I love you.’
The two-time Grammy-nominated singer would also share a snippet of her song Father, which is taken from her studio album Confident (2015).
In a video about the making of Confident, Lovato confessed that she was “conflicted” about the death of her father, who was 52, while revealing that he was the inspiration for the song.
“Father I’m gonna thank you – Even if I’m still hurt – Oh I’m gonna bless you – I wanna mean those words,” she sings from the top of the soft and vulnerable track.
“I’ve always wished you well — I, I’ve prayed for your peace — even if you started this — this whole war in me.”
She also sings that her father is “a troubled man” who “never got the chance.”
“To be yourself, to be your best – I hope heaven has given you a second chance,” the clearly grieving daughter wrote.
Daughter’s love: Lovato called her late father ‘my guardian angel’, despite a ‘complicated’ relationship with him in the years before his death in 2013
The father singer professed her ‘love’ for Garza and confessed that she wished ‘you were here to celebrate’
Relatable: Lovato admitted that “Father’s Day isn’t easy for everyone,” then shared how she deals with people who have complicated relationships with their dads
Confession: The two-time Grammy-nominated singer would also share a snippet of her song Father, which is from her studio album Confident (2015)
“Emotionally: always wished you well – me, I prayed for your peace – even if you started this – this whole war in me,” she sings from the top of Father, which was released in 2015, two years after her father died
“I was very confused when he passed away because he was abusive,” the singer-songwriter said in 2015, as reported by People. “He was mean, but he wanted to be a good person and he wanted his family.”
Lovato added that their father struggled with a mental illness that made his role as a patriarch difficult to sustain.
“He knew he wasn’t able to start a family, and it was because of his mental illness,” she said. “Knowing it wasn’t entirely his fault really saddened me. I wanted to write about it. I wanted to process it.’
Released in July 2015, Confident’s lead single Cool For The Summer peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was eventually certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association Of America.
The follow-up singles Confident and Stone Cold reached number 21 on the Hot 100 and number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 respectively.