Demi Lovato wrote song about late father to 'process conflicted' feelings

Demi Lovato has opened up on the thoughts that went into a new song about her late father.

The singer's new album 'Confident' has a track called 'Father' - a tune penned about Patrick Lovato, who passed away in 2013.

He divorced from the US star's mother when she was just two, and was largely estranged.

Patrick also suffered from alcoholism and mental health issues, with Lovato channelling his demons in the reflective track.

She said in a video posted online this week: "I was very conflicted when he passed because he was abusive.

"He was mean, but he wanted to be a good person. And he wanted to have his family, and when my mom married my stepdad, he still had this huge heart where he said, 'I'm so glad that he's taking care of you and doing the job that I wish I could do.'

"I realised [my father] wasn't capable of raising a family. To know that it wasn't really his fault really was saddening to me. I wanted to write about it. I wanted to process it, and 'Father' really helped me do that."

Listen to 'Father' below: