Dove Cameron just released her debut studio album, "Alchemical: Volume 1," on Dec. 1, and while it did not receive critical acclaim, the singer is running her victory lap.
"I felt like I was writing the two halves in such different headspaces. The first half was really about the ending of something, and an entire year of my life, and the processing of that," the Disney Channel alum told Billboard. "There was a very stark sonic page turn when it came to the next musical phase that I stepped into."
The "two halves" were seen through Cameron's tracklist, which included a mix of ballads and upbeat songs, which all tell a story and are a reflection of both her personal life and music career.
"I always said that I never wanted to release any sad music or ballads, because I was really avoidant for a long time, like, 'Everything's happy! Everything's so amazing!' But I was not happy," the "Boyfriend" singer continued.
"I decided if I was going to be a person, right? Your personhood and your life have to come before everything.
"If I was ever going to become the person I was going to be - and music is so important to me - I had to integrate what has happened so far and I have to write for me first and foremost."
Dove Cameron Reflects on Life Through Music
Cameron has been through a lot prior to the release of her debut album, she experienced the unforeseen death of her father as well as two friends.
This has led her to get help and talk to a therapist, which resulted in her approach to writing and recording "Alchemical: Volume 1."
"The best part of this job is definitely connecting with humans all over the world, but it's also the actual making of the thing that you're passionate about," Cameron said.
She also explained that it was important that she did not succumb to the pressures, and continue to look at the "joyful part about this job."
READ MORE: Dove Cameron Makes A Stand Against Roe V Wade Case With 'Breakfast' Music Video
Dove Cameron Escapes Burnout
Following the massive success of her singles, "Boyfriend" and "Breakfast," Cameron experienced burnout, which is probably because she struggled to differentiate work from her personal life.
"But I sort of hit a wall early this year with burnout and realizing that I really didn't have a personal life. My friends and family have always had this sense of worry and stress about me," she explained.
"I think, as a Capricorn and as someone who's highly traumatized, I dove into work so hard at such a young age, and I really didn't construct a community, a life or anything outside of my job."
READ ALSO: Dove Cameron, Kim Petras, and More Represent Queer Community in AMAs 2022
