LOS ANGELES, Singer, songwriter and actress Dove Cameron is breaking away from her Disney star persona and releasing a new version of herself with “Alchemical: Volume 1,” the first part of her debut studio album.
“Alchemical: Volume 1,” which has eight songs including “Sand,” will be released on December 1st.
The former child star, who appeared in Disney’s 2015 film “Descendants,” its sequels and TV spin-off for many years, has been reflecting on her self-growth since her days as a child working in Hollywood.
“Growing up in the public eye, I trained my brain to think first about what other people wanted from me, rather than what I knew I needed,” Cameron said in an interview.
“When you start out so young, and your whole life is cataloged and interpreted in a way that may not actually be reality, I think you start to look at things from an external point of view and you start to dismiss your own personal experiences as being valid,” she added.
In 2021, she released her first non-Disney hit called “Boyfriend,” which served as a way for Cameron to share with the world that she is part of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I just decided: It’s now or never,” Cameron said.
“Boyfriend” is based on events in Cameron’s life that helped shape her sexuality and was performed during the 2022 American Music Awards (AMAs), the same night she won artist of the year.
“I was so grateful for the way people responded,” she added. “Still, obviously there’s still a lot of negativity around it, but I think when it’s for you, you can’t find a problem with it.”
After releasing “Boyfriend,” Cameron decided to delete all of her previous songwriting work from streaming services as she felt it no longer represented who she was.
The Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress feels like she’s in an “amazing place in her life” right now where everything seems possible for her, which means not conforming to a certain image.
Looking back, her Disney brand, as well as other personas in her career, seemed “detrimental” to her, she said. Cameron said that now she wants to evolve into whatever version of herself feels right.
Image: Dove Cameron attends the CFDA Fashion Awards in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 6, 2023. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
