Dove Cameron Crafts a Sinister, Intoxicating Debut Album in 'Alchemical Vol. 1'
Former Disney star Dove Cameron is the villain we're all rooting for in the first part of her two-part debut album, Alchemical Vol. 1. The body of work packs its fair share of drama into its eight seductive tracks as she uniquely explores gender roles and power dynamics while dark and edgy pop production blankets clever and insightful lyricism, creating a debut effort that is equal parts alluring to the ear and striking to the heart.
"Lethal Woman" is an almighty opener with hints of early goth-pop fused with delicious, K-pop-esque sonic breakdowns. The song sees Cameron unapologetically singing about being attracted to a strong woman and losing control of her senses. "Cause she walks like a saint, floats like an angel / Sharp like a knife under the table / Can't feel my face, I shoulda stayed home / I know what she's doin', she's a lethal woman," she sings in the chorus, adding elsewhere that she doesn't necessarily regret feeling a strong attraction. In fact, she welcomes it, singing in the outro, "I guess I'm into it / I like a lethal woman." Heavy production elements define this song, as maniacal laughter, a gun being cocked, and banging at the door pepper the sonic landscape.
The delicate ballad "Still" highlights the budding dark pop star's low, sultry voice and adds a sinister dimension. Over sweeping violins and a soft piano, Cameron admits to wanting to take some time and be still for a moment while living a chaotic, non-stop life, sharing that she is afraid of asking this question and only wants to do it if someone else specifically does it as well. Other standout tracks include the feminist anthem "Breakfast," the atmospheric "Sand," leading to the heart-racing "God's Game." On the track, Cameron talks about a relationship, which she considers to be the "love of her life," that she can't get out of her head, and she starts to wonder if it's all a pretty lie. Additionally, Cameron starts to think that he is inflicting pain on her for him to be her savior.
The album's closer, "FRAGILE THINGS," is perhaps the most vulnerable track and, oddly, the most sonically wholesome, without abandoning Cameron's underlying sinister layer. Throughout the track, the artist opens up about a breakup, which she parallels to a house. Cameron says this house was shattered, and she was left only to pick up the pieces. In the second verse, she begins to think of painting the walls and changing the floors, but she knows nothing will remove the spirit of her ex, leaving listeners to mull over the line, "Love is like a house of fragile things / Where hearts can be broken as easy as antiques."
Cameron's highly-anticipated debut album is everything fans could've wanted and more, with its high-camp pop mixed with dramatic, edgy proclivities seeping through from start to finish. At just eight songs, with a volume two presumably coming soon, Alchemical Vol. 1 feels like the first chapter of a story we cannot wait to unfold.
Listen to Alchemical Vol. 1 below:
