Do they make divas like they used to? Late-night host James Corden said they didn’t, but that was before he met Demi Lovato.
Corden opened his show saying how he found his new favorite radio station, which only plays the tunes from divas such as Tina Turner and Cher.
“They don’t make them like that anymore, do they?” he proposed. “Divas back then were just better than divas are today. They didn’t have Instagram. they just had sass, voice, songs.”
Modern-day diva Demi Lovato wasn’t having any of that, so she challenged Corden to a diva-off. Lovato brought out an a cappella group — Level — for the occasion, which meant Corden couldn’t refuse the challenge.
“I got hits from before you were born,” Corden said.
“And, um, I got hits that are my own,” Lovato responded.
Lovato began performing Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” which Corden followed up with Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High.” They then moved into Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” and Katy Perry’s “Roar” (you can guess who covered which tune).
However, Lovato was able to pull out a win when she countered with her own track, “Heart Attack” and then dropped the mic.
Is it cheating if you sing a song that you wrote when the other person doesn’t have any? It doesn’t matter. Lovato proved that modern-day divas are just as cool as the classic ones, all while suggesting that maybe there is a way for both to exist together.
Corden has made a name for himself as the late-night host that can belt out a tune thanks to Carpool Karaoke and his countless musical sketches, but as much as he tried, he couldn’t compete with Lovato. At least they found a way to work together. They had to remain civil for when Lovato came on for an interview later.
Watch the full diva-off above.