How Dove Cameron's Boyfriend Damiano David Helped Her Stop Thinking Her Singing Voice Was 'Ugly' (Exclusive)

After some time away from music to focus on her mental health and developing artistry, Dove Cameron is back and feeling confident like never before.

The actress and singer, 29, unveiled the first taste of her upcoming album with the new single "Too Much" on Feb. 21, and the electro-pop track finds Cameron singing self-assured lyrics with a much more full-bodied tone than fans have previously heard from the star.

Despite utilizing her powerful vocal abilities for theatrical projects like the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon! or the off-Broadway Clueless musical in the past, the Emmy winner opted to use a soft, moody tone on her breakthrough 2022 hit "Boyfriend" and subsequent releases.

"I always felt like my voice was this instrument to be manipulated or changed, or something to fit what people needed of me," Cameron tells PEOPLE. "And I actually secretly harbored this belief that my full, real, true voice was ugly."

For a long time, the former child star held onto the negative belief, citing "someone being like, 'I hate your tone,' in a theater camp or something" when she was young. But more recently, she received some harsh encouragement from best friend Veronica St. Clair and boyfriend Damiano David of Måneskin.

"She's always like, 'You are so stupid and an idiot, and I'm going to full throttle you if you don't at least try to sing on one of your records," says Cameron. "And my boyfriend, same thing. He's very like, 'Why aren't you singing on these tracks? Why are you whispering?'"

Related: Dove Cameron and Damiano David Planned Their First Date Backstage at Måneskin's Madison Square Garden Show

Through working on "Too Much" and other forthcoming songs, she found a way to reexamine and ultimately appreciate her own vocals. "I was just having the time of my life in the studio," she explains. "I broke through my complex about my voice, and it delivered me a new sound that I feel really at home and comfortable with."

Cameron feeling more secure in the power of her vocal abilities mirrors the inspiration behind her latest single, which features the lyrics: "If you say I'm too much, baby go find less / If you can't keep up, stay below, I guess / If I'm such a big deal, maybe you're too little."

Related: Dove Cameron Recalls Feeling 'Incredibly Suicidal,' Talks 'Shame and Stigma' Around Mental Health Issues

In many past romantic and platonic relationships, the "Breakfast" musician felt she offered more than she was given as a partner, which left her "morally confused."

"I think there is such a cultural cap put on women and queer people," says Cameron. "The people in my life and my circle specifically, we feel very much this feeling of we have to put a lid on it, tighten it up or keep a veil over ourselves. And oftentimes when we break that cultural fourth wall, there's a punishment."

Eventually, the Descendants alum realized she wasn't at fault. "I really thought there was something wrong with me," she explains. "Then, as I stepped away from the environments I was in and created new relationships — especially the relationship I'm in now — everything in retrospect became so clear."

"Now I am only surrounded by people who want me to be as big as possible," adds Cameron, "and want me to win."

Read the original article on People