Truth is just what this world needs and is precisely what Troye Sivan, a 23-year-old South African-born Australian artist, gave us. Sivan only released his debut album, “Blue Neighbourhood,” three years ago. Still, it felt like a century for Sivan’s dedicated fans. As a former Youtube star, Sivan has garnered quite a number of loyal followers. Despite the lengthy intermission between albums, his admirers have stuck around for the second act.
Sivan’s second full-length album, “Bloom,” is an emotionally-charged queer epic of love. Forget heteronormativity — this album feels likes reading pages directly from Sivan’s personal diary, where his emotional prowess in same-sex relationships is on page one. While the songs are unquestionably from personal experience, Sivan created a relatable collection of songs specifically for the LGTBQ+ community.
“I want to make music for people like me, and make something real about what’s actually going on in my life, which…it is what it is,” Sivan told Entertainment Weekly.
Sivan presents a sneak peek into his life with 10 incredibly honest tunes. He recounts his sexual experience with an older man on the album’s opening track, “Seventeen.” Amidst the melodies and spoken truth, “Seventeen” leaves a listener desiring more experiential accounts from the young man, which he provides with the remaining nine songs on the album, including “Postcard” and “Plum.” With help from famous pop-artists like Ariana Grande and Gordi, he describes love using artistically beautiful metaphors and realistic situational interpretations. His songwriting on “Bloom” is absolutely on-point and aligns well with the gentleness of the music.
“Lucky Strike” is ultimately my favorite song on the album. Slightly more upbeat than most of the other tracks, it offers a genuine look into the intense joy brought with the feeling of love. Sivan mentions, “A hit of dopamine, higher than I’ve ever been.” It’s safe to assume Sivan feels utmost happiness with the particular individual mentioned in this song. Love is a splendid thing which is captured perfectly in this tune, and by the entire album.
Love is exemplified in all shapes and forms, including those outside of heteronormative standards. Sivan expresses his same-sex relationships in a relatable masterpiece of this album. I highly recommend you open your ears for a complete listen of “Bloom.” While the pop-centered album may not meet the historical standard of the genre, it creates a sound aligned with other popular acts today.
I give this album 4.5 out of 5 stars.