“I’ve gone from the girl next door to the bad girl next door,” mused former Disney actor Dove Cameron to the LA Times earlier this year, shortly after her queer banger Boyfriend went viral. While that line was delivered with an almighty eye-roll, acknowledging the well-trodden path taken by fellow Disney alumni such as Britney, Miley and Selena, superficially it’s not far from the truth.
Boyfriend prowls around with a seductive swagger amid volcanic beat eruptions, with Cameron, blond hair dyed jet black, attempting to steal a poor simp’s girlfriend. Almighty opener Lethal Woman, meanwhile, is like early goth-pop Billie Eilish fused with a delicious, K-pop-esque sonic breakdown. Even on ballads such as the delicate Still, the 27-year-old’s low, sultry voice adds a sinister dimension, not least when Fragile Things starts to disintegrate in its closing moments.
Throughout this debut, Cameron’s modus operandi is high-camp pop with a dramatic edge. At just eight songs – volume two will presumably follow shortly – Alchemical is an intriguing taster rather than a fully satisfying meal. What’s clear, however, is that the Disney albatross has been fully banished.
