From a Disney Channel darling to a daring pop star, Dove Cameron has finally broken out of her shell and is creating some of the most unique sounds of her career.
After years of acting success in shows like “Liv and Maddie” and the “Descendants” film series, Cameron is claiming her space in the music industry with a sound that’s bold, dark and pulled from the depths of her self-discovery journey.
I grew up watching Cameron on “Liv and Maddie” playing the role of two opposite personality twins — one was an edgy basketball star and the other a bubbly, sparkly singer and actress. It’s shocking to see how she’s blended those extremes into her real-life persona. It’s almost like she took on her character Mal’s personality from “Descendants” and used it to become a dark pop powerhouse.
Her early music adventures began with soundtracks for the various movies and TV shows she was in. These numbers consisted of inspirational pop songs that matched the upbeat tone of her roles — songs that were clean-cut but didn’t include the depth that her current discography contains.
“Boyfriend,” the debut single she released after straying from Disney, is the first taste of her new style. The song highlights events from Cameron’s life that helped shape her sexuality and explores ideas of desire, identity and power dynamics in a relationship.
The lyrics “I could be a better boyfriend than him/ I could do the shit that he never did/ Up all night, I won’t quit/ Thinking I’m gonna steal you from him/ I could be such a gentleman” capture the confidence and edge that define Cameron’s new musical identity while embracing her sexuality and boldly flipping gender roles.
After Cameron released “Boyfriend,” she decided to delete all of her previous work from streaming services as she felt it no longer represented who she was, according to Reuters.
The sentiment of this dramatic shift was mixed with most people confused by the sudden disappearance of her old songs, but others glad she’s unapologetically embracing who she wants to be and performing an artistic rebirth.
In December 2023, Cameron released her first album, “Alchemical: Volume 1.” This was a compilation of the raw, genre-blending tracks she had been teasing most of that year.
The album contains themes of self-empowerment, heartbreak, emotional alchemy and transformation with each song reflecting a layer of her evolution both sonically and personally. This put her on the map, solidifying her position as an alt-pop star.
On Feb. 21, Cameron debuted the first single off her up-and-coming album which is yet to be titled. “Too Much” is a breakup anthem centered around parts of herself that her ex-boyfriend criticized, according to Nylon. Within the lyrics, Cameron realizes that she isn’t too much, her partner is simply too little.
“If you say I’m too much, baby, go find less/ If you can’t keep up, stay below, I guess/ If I’m such a big deal, maybe you’re too little” she sings.
The deeper register, a stark difference from the airy vocals Cameron used when she was on Disney Channel, gives this song a sort of ethereal intensity. She performed this number on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on March 20 and it was unlike anything she had ever done before.
While the choreography was toned down, there were still eye-catching visuals that heightened her set. It began with her laying in a pile of mannequin heads before moving into a portion where she intertwined her hands in tape measures at the mention of a mini white dress.
Something that stuck out was her high-pitched voice that mimicked the supposed complaints of her ex — annoying remarks that jabbed at what she wore and spoke up about over the duration of their relationship. These theatrics added a layer of sarcasm turning her emotional grievances into art and making it clear that she’s no longer shrinking herself down to fit someone else’s standards.
As someone who finds Cameron’s dynamic incredibly interesting and powerful, I’m excited to see what her new album brings. Assuming it’s going to be the next volume of “Alchemy,” I’m hoping for an even deeper dive into her haunting production style and lyrical boldness.
Although she’s no longer the vivacious TV personality I grew up with, I’m loving this new side of her.
I appreciate that she’s not trying to fit the mold of modern pop — she’s crafting a legacy full of contradiction and complexity that some artists just don’t have.
