Celebrity Demi Lovato Demi Lovato's Billboard Music Awards Performance Was Reportedly Censored Lovato performed her new song with a message for viewers to "VOTE." By Kimberly Truong Kimberly Truong Kim Truong is a writer focusing on news, entertainment, and culture. She is a graduate of Fordham University. Her work has appeared on The Cut, Self, Refinery29, and BBC America. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on October 15, 2020 @ 11:10AM Pin Share Tweet Email Demi Lovato just debuted the first live performance of her song, "Commander in Chief," at the Billboard Music Awards — but the appearance was seemingly censored by NBC, the network airing the awards show. Though Lovato performed the song against a backdrop spelling out "VOTE" in large letters, TMZ reported that the message was gone when it aired on TV. Instead, the televised performance featured close-ups of Lovato at the piano. Sources told TMZ that NBC cut the vote messaging because the song itself criticizes Donald Trump, and the "VOTE" message was a call to vote against him. "Commander in Chief" takes aim at Trump's handling of the COVID-19 crisis as well as his response to racial injustice. The song lyrics include: "Commander in Chief, honestly / If I did the things you do / I couldn't sleep, seriously / Do you even know the truth?/ We're in a state of crisis, people are dyin' / While you line your pockets deep / Commander in Chief, how does it feel to still / Be able to breathe?" From Lizzo’s Vote Dress to John Legend’s Touching Tribute, Here’s What You Missed at the BBMAs "There's been so many times that I've wanted to write the President a letter or sit down with him and ask him these questions," Lovato told CNN about the song. "And then I thought, I don't really actually want to do that and I thought one way that I could do that is writing a song and releasing it for the whole world to hear and then he has to answer those questions to everyone and not just me."