Art is a reflection of life, making it possible that Dove Cameron’s new single, “Hello My Old Lover,” is based on the singer’s life. Currently, Cameron is engaged to Damiano David, lead vocalist of the Italian rock band “Måneskin,” so the current lover she describes could be him. 

Of her past partners, there is no knowing for sure who exactly the scorned ex in her song is. 

Cameron’s voice throughout “Hello My Old Lover” is the most appealing part of the song. The soft and calming vocals, coupled with the piano, make this ballad an ideal one. Verses one and two add the romance element, while the chorus tells the story of an ungrateful ex-partner.

Cameron starts the song with a sad but almost vengeful chorus. She hopes to clear the air that the letter she is talking about is for her to release inner emotions, not to incite negative emotions in her ex romantic partner. 

In the lyrics, it’s conveyed she hopes they never find it because knowing what’s inside would be a killer. Cameron sings, “I wrote it down so I’d feel better / but it’ll kill you if you find it.”

The first verse diverts from centering Cameron’s emotions and her ex. She starts making her current male lover the focus. Comparisons between the current and ex-lover tell a story of how she was treated then compared to how she is treated now. 

Cameron describes her current lover as having deeper cuts, sweeter touches, more attractive eyes and more tenderness. 

The lines that capture stark comparisons best are: “His cut is deeper than yours / his touch is sweeter than yours / eyes like he’s been through a war / I can’t believe that the more he learns, he adores / parts of me that you never explored.”

Cameron goes on to illustrate her new partner’s tenderness and love for her. 

The expression of the safety she feels with him and the patience he has had with her is conveyed by: “Fell from the heavens, landed in my bed. / It’s like he knew how to heal what was broken by you.” 

The line that sums up Cameron’s main reason for writing this song appears throughout, “turns out I’m easy to love.” This last line is her realizing the problem was her ex, not her.

After repeating the chorus, Cameron moves on to the second verse, where she speaks out loud about how she dreads being away from her new lover because of how much of a pleasure he is to be around. Her unrelenting joy makes her realize everything that occurred with her ex was meant to happen so she could be with her true love.  

The lyrics making this clear are, “And now I’m real, real sure / I wasn’t made to be yours. / You couldn’t weather the storm.”

Cameron repeats the chorus a final time but takes a pause to emphasize the last line, making it the outro: “turns out, I’m easy to love.” She does this to remind listeners that her artistic project about her ex-lover is not slander, but a way to recognize she has a better partner who can love her in a way that’s healthy and leaves her longing.