Rise to Fame
Playing both sisters simultaneously on Liv and Maddie was a neat trick that earned her a Daytime Emmy, but it wasn't what made her stick outside Disney. Boyfriend did. She posted a TikTok teaser in early 2022 that racked up 4.7 million likes before the song was officially out, forcing an early release. It entered the Hot 100 at No. 16, peaked at No. 9 in the UK, and was the first overtly queer song she put on mainstream radio. The whole Disney-to-real-artist transition happened in about three minutes.
In the Spotlight
The post-Disney pop playbook usually stalls around album two. She hasn't gotten there yet. Her debut studio album has been delayed by a deliberate therapy break she's discussed publicly, but what exists is solid: two MTV VMAs (Best New Artist; Video for Good for Breakfast), an AMA for New Artist of the Year, double platinum on Boyfriend, and a 2026 Amazon Prime thriller (56 Days) that puts her in adult dramatic roles. Getting engaged to Damiano David of Maneskin in late 2025 gave her a European footprint she didn't have before. The question is whether the album, when it actually lands, justifies the runway.
Side Notes
The name 'Dove' is her father's. He died by suicide in 2011 when she was 15, and she legally changed her name to the nickname he gave her shortly after. It's the kind of background that makes every Disney-era image land differently. She also quietly deleted her entire pre-'Boyfriend' music catalog from streaming, including a full EP. Both choices suggest someone who takes authorship seriously enough to rewrite her own origin story when the old version no longer fits.