Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato on the set of Sonny with a Chance

Copyright 2008 Disney. Photo courtesy of Disney Channel/Bob D'Amico

If you’ve never heard of Demi Lovato, go ask your tween. After a stint on the short-lived Disney series As the Bell Rings, the 16-year-old singer-actress shot to fame as the lead in last year’s Camp Rock, the tale of a poor kid with pop-star dreams who lands a rocker hunk (Joe Jonas—you know, the cute Jonas brother). Since then, she’s barely had a moment to breathe. She’s released an album, signed up for two back-to-back TV movies (the soon-to-be-released Princess Protection Agency and Camp Rock 2), and now her new sitcom, Sonny with a Chance—about a sweet Midwestern girl who moves to Hollywood to join the cast of a kids’ sketch-comedy show—premieres Sunday, February 8, at 8pm on the Disney Channel. Decked out in a stunning red chiffon dress on a bleak New York winter’s day, the remarkably articulate adolescent chatted candidly about the ups and downs of life in the spotlight.

You’re riding high right now, but do you worry about the trajectory of your career?
Not really. I’m just enjoying it. I mean, you can’t please everyone. People say all the time, “Oh, she’s going to sell out,” or whatever. But they don’t know me. I’m going to change and I’m going to evolve, but that doesn’t mean I’m turning into another person. So there’s no need for me to worry about it. Even the best of the best have to deal with haters.

You’re only 16, but you seem quite mature for your age. Do you ever wish you could just be a normal kid?
No. I actually wish that I was 18, so I could vote and be considered an adult. It’s hard because everyone treats me like I’m an adult, so I might as well be one, you know? I don’t really have the same mind-set as kids my age, so I like to hang out with people who are older, except for Selena [Gomez] and Miley [Cyrus]. They’re the only friends I have that are my age. Right now, I kind of get judged if I like a guy who’s 18 or whatever. I’m supposed to be mature—so am I supposed to be with somebody who’s immature? It’s weird.

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