Demi Lovato has spoken out against critics of her racy Cosmopolitan cover, saying the images represent the singer getting over her past body issues. The 23 year old’s shoot for the mag was branded too sexy by some, but Demi has stood by the cover saying it was important to show people that she now feels comfortable with her body.

Speaking to E! News at the Samsung's Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 launch event in West Hollywood, Lovato said, "It took so much for me to get a place where I would feel comfortable enough to do that,”

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"If anything, it's showing all of my fans who know my story and my journey that I've gone from hating every inch of my body to doing a photo shoot in my underwear in front of the entire world. That's more of statement to me than just looking sexy on a magazine cover. It’s so important for me to show people that," the singer added.

When the cover was released earlier this month Demi also had to defend herself against critics on Instagram, causing her to post a lengthly message about her decision to strip down for the mag. “What these individuals who are protesting don’t understand is that for the first time in a long time I feel incredibly EMPOWERED and the MOST BEAUTIFUL I’ve ever felt on this magazine.” Lovato wrote.

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“It’s so liberating to be able to show the world how confident a woman can be once she learns to love herself. It took soul searching and a bit of time before I learned to embrace my body therefore I could not have been more excited to do this shoot. I think what’s more important is showing women there’s NOTHING WRONG with embracing their bodies and sexuality. I am confident in my own skin and A PROUD @COSMOPOLITAN COVER GIRL!” the singer added.

Watch the video for Demi Lovato's 'Cool For The Summer' here: