Since his YouTube debut in 2012, Australian singer Troye Sivan has evolved into a figurehead for the LGBTQ community. Sivan grew first as a social influencer and then as an artist with the release of his first big-time EP, “Trxye.” In the past years, Sivan has gained a large following composed largely of members of the LGBTQ community who look up to him. His first official album, “Blue Neighbourhood,” came in 2015.
With the release of single “My My My!” in January of this year, fans began to anticipate “Bloom,” Sivan’s second full-length album. The piece came out on Aug. 31, 2018, and has a sound much slower and softer than previous releases.
The album’s first track, “Seventeen,” tells the story of Sivan’s experience with the dating app Grindr when he was 17 years old. Lyrics such as “I went out looking for love when I was seventeen/ maybe a little too young, but it was real to me,” and “got something here to lose that I think you wanna take from me” expose the reality of the young age Sivan sings of.
Starting with an airy harmony, “My My My!” preaches of accepting love and turning to the person you love instead of running from it. One of my favorite songs of the album, “My My My!” is the perfect song to dance to and will hopefully be played at pride fests to come, as it expresses positivity about sexuality.
“The Good Side,” the third song of the album and the second single, offers a fresh take on a breakup song, something that I found to be pleasing. Instead of focusing on the heartbreak and hatred of a relationship ending, Sivan explains the benefits of a certain relationship ending. Specifically, he sings of the sympathy he feels for his former partner, and how the ending of their relationship sparked creativity within him. The way this track addresses breakups is extremely refreshing, breaking from the norm of cursing a former lover with anger or wallowing in heartbreak.
Another track that follows the theme of accepting the end of love is “Plum,” which utilizes the motif of plants and growth to explain that every relationship needs to end, no matter how great it is. The relationship in focus simply has “overgrown,” with the two partners not clicking. Much like “The Good Side,” “Plum” doesn’t follow what most pop-stars include in a breakup. The absence of hatred and animosity in this track provides a great take on unsuccessful relationships.
Described by Sivan as a “five-minute, ‘80s stadium love song,” the final track of the album, “Animal,” released as the fifth and final single in June of this year, is an “ode to the boy (Sivan) love(s)”. “Animal” explores a completely dedicated, loving relationship, where the two partners want nothing but to spend their lives together. In the middle of the song, the track switches to sounding like it is being played from a cassette player, which is not only very aesthetically pleasing but adds onto the theme of an “‘80s stadium love song” that Sivan established the track as.
“Bloom” was a highly pleasing album, both lyrically and musically. While it is completely different from Troye Sivan’s past works, the new sound was executed very well, despite lacking the fast-paced, upbeat songs that have become synonymous to the artist’s name. Even if the album fails to succeed globally, I have a good feeling that fans will cherish this album for years to come.
_Edited by Siena DeBolt | sdebolt@themaneater.com_
