Demi Lovato Was 'Afraid' About What Their Career 'Would Look Like' If They Weren't 'Hyper-Feminine'

Demi Lovato worried about what their career would be like if they weren't feminine in their career.

While chatting with trans boxer Patricio Manuel on their 4D with Demi Lovato podcast, the singer-songwriter - who recently came out as non-binary - shared that they worried what living their truth would do to their career.

"I know what it's like to have your dream feel like it can hold you back, but it's quite the opposite," Lovato, 28, said. "Now that I am living my truth, my art has just become that much greater because my art is a reflection of who I am. So now that I'm able to be more transparent with the world in who I am, they can see my art better. And they hear it better."

"I was so afraid, at times, of what my career would look like if I wasn't that super sexy hyper-feminine pop star," they added. "My career doesn't matter as much to me now as it does living my truth."

Demi Lovato/YouTube

Lovato said they could relate to Manuel, who shared that he turned to boxing during his "gender odyssey."

"I thought I was embracing my masculine side when I was training," said Lovato about mixed martial arts. "I was able to step foot into my masculinity more. Maybe that's why I was attracted to the sport."

The sentiment of fear regarding Lovato's gender identity affecting their career is one they've been open about.

Speaking with Jane Fonda last month, the singer said they felt "the patriarchy" placed them in a box.

"After years of living my life for other people, trying to make myself smaller for the patriarchy -- they run the industry, they are at the center of everything," Lovato said. "When I realized that, I thought, 'What are the ways that the patriarchy has been holding me back?' And for me, it was putting me in a box telling [me], 'You are a female, this is what you're supposed to like, this is what you're supposed to do, don't dream bigger and don't speak louder.'"

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"That didn't vibe for me because I'm too outspoken for that," they added.

Lovato's 4D podcast has given the star an opportunity to open up about their identity. They came out as non-binary on its first episode.

"Over the past year-and-a-half, I've been doing some healing and self-reflective work. And through this work, I've had the revelation that I identify as non-binary. With that said, I'll be officially changing my pronouns to they/them," Lovato said. "I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am, and am still discovering."

The singer said it would "mean the world" to them if others "could start identifying me as they/them."