A queen honoring a queen. On Dec. 18, Demi Lovato took to her Instagram Stories to share a text message she once received from the late singer Aretha Franklin. The 26-year-old also included an incredibly touching message. “Still can’t believe that one year ago today the queen of soul herself texted me to wish me happy holidays… we miss you, queen. RIP Aretha,” Demi wrote.

Aretha’s text to Demi read: “Hi Demi, the [happiest] of holidays!!! Aretha,” while Demi replied: “Thank you for thinking of me!! Happy Holidays and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!” What an incredibly sweet exchange, y’all. 

Demi Lovato, Instagram Stories, Text Message Screengrab
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On Thursday, Aug. 16, the “Respect” songstress passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was 76 years old. At the time of Aretha’s death, Demi was in a rehabilitation facility after suffering a near-fatal drug overdose in July. Thanks to her strength and resilience, however, Demi is doing better than ever.

Not only does the brunette beauty seemingly have a new beau, but she’s also reportedly coming out with new music. Thatta girl! Aretha would be proud. “Demi finds singing and writing cathartic and has been writing a lot of her own material, which she wants to get in motion pretty quickly,” a source close to Demi recently told Radar Online.

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Sweaty, messy jiu jitsu hair.. 😝💪🏻 #BJJ #bluebelt #nevergiveup 💙🥋

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As for what she’s working on? Well, it looks like Demi may be digging into her own personal experiences. “She’s grateful to be alive and at the stage of her life where she wants to help other people, and her music will reflect that,” the source explained. “It’s all about staying strong and positive — one day at a time, of course.”

That said, the source also noted: “Her entire team has made it 100 percent clear that there’s zero pressure whatsoever in terms of her comeback.” Her team has got the right idea! As much as we’d love for Demi to drop a new album tomorrow, we’re happy to hear that she’s taking things slow. In the meantime, we’ll continue to bump her greatest hits. Alexa, play “Skyscraper” by Demi Lovato.