Dove Cameron Has Entered a New Phase

Dove Cameron is entering a new phase. After rising to fame as a Disney Channel star, Cameron is officially breaking into the music world with the release of her two original (and long-awaited) singles, "Waste" and "Bloodshot." She's been teasing fans with covers of her favorite songs over the past few years, but is now finally ready to release music of her own, and boy, has she delivered.

In addition to the two singles, the 23-year-old talent has also dropped the music video for "Waste." You can watch it in all its black-and-white glory right here.

Cameron talked to L'Officiel USA about why she deleted all her Instagrams, her plans for future music videos, and where her acting career fits into this next era. 

You’ve been doing a lot of covers, so releasing your own solo music feels like it’s been a long time coming. Can you discuss your path getting to this point and how it feels to be here?

My path getting to this point has been incredibly varied and definitely long. I’ve been working on music for 6 years now, different projects here and there, none that ever felt right. So now, to feel myself so much in these first few releases is so exciting to me. It feels surreal. 

You deleted all of your posts on Instagram, with the exception of content about your new music. Can you tell us more about that?

The idea was to draw attention to my new music, but it’s ended up being really good for me, psychologically. To put a bit of separation between myself and the world. I sometimes feel like I’m an open vein for anything and everything, negative and positive. I do think I’m too sensitive for the industry, most days. Not just speaking of negativity directed at me, but all of the unconscious, horrible, impulsive behavior that happens online, everywhere you look. Of course, the posts are only archived. We’ll see if I bring some back. It won’t be all of them. 

Speaking of, you mention in that post that it hasn’t been the right time for you to release your originals. Can you elaborate on that at all?

It’s not so much that it wasn’t the right time, as much as I wasn’t ready to make the music that I wanted to put out, or be the person I wanted to be, even if I thought I was and really, really wanted to be. I’m not sure I can say that I’m who I want to be, but I am ready to say what I mean. Enough has happened, and I don’t have anything left in me but me now. I’m also now not afraid to make music that only I like, whereas before, I don’t think I liked myself enough to believe that my taste and ideas were worthy of being realized. 

You started out as an actress before breaking into the music realm. You also mentioned in a recent Instagram post that you want music to play a central role in your life and to release songs regularly. Are you planning to depart from acting and focus primarily on your music in this “new era?"

I’m not leaving acting. In fact, I have a lot of acting projects lined up in the new year, as well as about a year's worth of music to release. This new era is more of an emotional, developmental, and very human era. I feel like I’ve had a personal “arrival” and I have to keep acting and start creating music as a form of therapy, like a compulsion. Not for any other reason other than I have to. For me. It’s the way through.

What was it like making the music video for “Waste”? What went into that project?

We wanted the “Waste” video to be very low-key, natural, and emotional visuals, more than a fully produced “music video." The song is the real star; the video is what sets the tone. As we go, I plan on having more and more creative and high-production visuals.