“California Sober” is a mid-tempo song that explains where Demi Lovato used to be with their recovery in 2021.

The expression “California sober”, also known as “Cali sober”, is used to designate people who refrain from using alcohol and most drugs but may indulge in marijuana. In other words, it means abstaining oneself from drugs with the exception of marijuana and other soft psychedelics. In Lovato’s case, they admitted that they had started drinking in moderation.

In their interview with CBS Morning, Lovato proclaimed:

So, you’re doing what they call moderation, I guess, right? So, you’re drinking, smoking a little bit of weed, is that fair to say?
Yeah. I think the term that I best identify with is California sober.

However, Lovato bid farewell to the California sober lifestyle by denouncing it through Instagram stories in December 2021:

I no longer support my “California sober” ways. Sober sober is the only way to be.