Photo courtesy of The Music Network
Story by Morgan Brantley / Contributing Writer
Twenty-three-year-old Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan released his sophomore album, “Bloom,” on Friday, Aug. 31 and recently reached number four on Billboard’s top 200 albums of the week. Sivan gained a significant fanbase from YouTube, blew up in 2015 with his first single “Youth” and is now one of the biggest up-and-coming pop stars making a change within the LGBT community and the music industry. In January, he released his first single “My My My!” from “Bloom,” giving him a lot of recognition since he hadn’t released anything in nearly three years.
“Bloom” has many ‘80s synth sounds, reflecting those of Lorde’s 2017 album, “Melodrama,” but also many ambient synth-pop sounds in the mix of the chart-topping album. The album is only 10 songs, five of which were released before the actual album release date: “My My My!,” “The Good Side,” “Bloom,” “Dance To This” and “Animal.” Each song gives listeners a good indicator of what the album’s theme is meant to be: love and heartache. Sivan revealed that much of his influence came from Lorde, as well as Frank Ocean, which is clear in his ballads such as “Postcard” and “The Good Side.”
Sivan admitted that a lot of his inspiration for this album came from his current relationship, along with a lot of naivety from his fling with an older gentleman from a dating app, which heavily influenced his opening song, “Seventeen.” Differentiating from “Blue Neighbourhood,” this album takes the same innocence but tackles more personal and intimate topics such as his first love and first heartbreak, and there’s a realization that this is a more mature and private record.
In 2015, the world was hit with a 20-year-old naive and innocent artist whose motive was to produce a fun and light record that would top charts fast but not break too many boundaries. Now, however, he is hurdling back with a never-before-heard nor expected sound that tests the limits lyrically and provides his fans with many potential hits. However, Sivan plays it safe musically with his tender acoustic and piano ballads and Americana synth-pop.
“Bloom” is the album for the lovesick individual who can’t get enough of crying themselves to sleep over the love ballads and beautiful, ambient sounds that are produced in this piece of art. Troye Sivan undoubtedly knows how to piece together a pure ode to love with scandalous secrets hidden inside each work.
Sivan begins his tour on Sept. 21 in Irving, Texas, and will continue through November where he will have his final show in Vancouver, Canada. The closest shows to Tennessee will be Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 1 and Charlotte, North Carolina, on Oct. 2. General admission tickets are now available for purchase. The full album is available on Spotify and Apple Music, as well as on vinyl and CD.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Sydney Wagner, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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