I have a thing for sophomore albums. From CTRL by SZA to Ungodly Hour by Chloe x Halle, I think that many artists really bloom during this era of their career, and Australian pop star Troye Sivan is no different. After various theater, film, and television experiences, Sivan gained immense popularity as a YouTube star before gracefully transitioning into a recording artist with his debut album Blue Neighborhood. This grace and delicacy transferred into his music as well. His first album was a deeply narrative-rich experience that was supplemented with a three-part music video. Blue Neighborhood was moody. The Lorde-esque pop album detailed Sivan’s experience with “coming out and first love” in all of its beauty and agony (2). It was a successful first album and certainly helped push Sivan into the spotlight as a certified pop star. Eyes were on Sivan to see how he would continue to grow in this industry, and he met and maintained their attention with his sophomore album Bloom.
Released on August 31, 2018, Bloom marked an evolution of Sivan’s sound. With features from Ariana Grande (“Dance To This”) and Gordi (“Postcard”), Sivan went from the beautiful angst sound of Blue Neighborhood to a delicate dance-pop sophomore album that contained its own melancholic moments (1). This album certainly served as a continuation of Sivan’s queer experiences as he grew from coming out and initial loves into more mature, intimate experiences set to a fresh, Springtime sound. This idea is deftly shown in the lead single “My My My!” and its corresponding music video where Sivan said he wanted to illustrate what it meant to be “gay and happy” (2). He wanted to showcase something that he said he didn’t see a lot of representation for growing up: “What is so scary about a young gay guy really just enjoying himself, and letting him move as feminine or as masculine as he wants, and strutting around?’ I did want to explore that carefree confidence” (2). That idea characterizes the whole album as he wove in feelings of carefree confidence and joy with all the love and loss. While that was so important to display, Sivan recognized that he was only one of many artists providing important representation of various queer experiences. He told Alexandra Pollard of Another Man that “we’re starting to get, finally, a diverse group of different LGBTQ perspectives” and that “I’m one voice of so many that are missing, and so I’m just trying to tell my story” (2).
There is a lot that is done right on this album. From its expression of queer joy accompanied by beautiful, witty lyrics and a pretty production, Bloom was a tremendous continuation of Sivan’s musical journey. Each song feels specially crafted and infused with Sivan’s perspective and being. I really like the intimacy of the album; Sivan has a way of crafting lyrics that have a playful edge while delving into touching topics. On the track “Bloom”, Sivan sings “Take a trip into my garden/ I’ve got so much to show ya/ The fountains and the waters/ Are begging just to know ya” (3). While he plays with a euphemism, Sivan works through his intimate experiences highlighting both the joys and the worries. This kind of cheeky, pop sound characterized the first half of the album with songs like “My My My!” and “Bloom” before he glides into more emotionally-heavy songs like “Postcard” and “Animal”. Though the second half of the album is certainly different in sound, Sivan stays on the subject of his experience with love through beautiful, and sometimes haunting, melodies. The shift in sound harkens back to Sivan’s older, moodier sound where he seems to lay all of the anguish out in heavenly songs. I really appreciate this balance between the joyful and the melancholic on this album. Not only does it demonstrate Sivan’s growth in his identity and his growth as a songwriter, but it also illustrates the cutting juxtaposition of love. Heavenly, shimmering moments can quickly dissolve into desolation and sorrow. Whether purposeful or not, Sivan manages to capture these shades of love in this album making it a truly beautiful and comforting record.
All in all, Sivan does a wonderful job in his second studio album. Bloom is a clear sign of Sivan’s growth as an artist, and he has certainly matured even more so since then. It’s a lovely, unapologetically queer album, and I love it.
- https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/troye-sivan-bloom/
- https://www.anothermanmag.com/life-culture/10346/troye-sivan-on-coming-out-and-why-he-doesnt-want-to-be-a-gay-icon
- https://genius.com/Troye-sivan-bloom-lyrics
- https://genius.com/albums/Troye-sivan/Bloom
- https://twitter.com/PopCrave/status/1001974457328717824
Great post Kevin! I could not agree more, I think that sophomore albums are when artists really hit it big and get more creative with their music. I can think of so many examples when the sophomore album is by far the most popular one an artists makes. I have listened to some of Troy Sivan’s music and overall I really liked the lyricism used in his songs and the clear sound of his voice. You did a great job breaking apart this album and highlight the aspects you really liked about it. I will definitely have to listen to Bloom all the way through!
I definitely agree that sophomore albums are always fun to listen to; its nice to see how the artist has grown and advanced in their production. I have never listened to Troye Sivan, but I will definitely be giving him a listen now! I think it’s nice that he wanted to put his work out to represent something he did not witness much of while growing up – it’s definitely nice for younger generations to have someone to look up to. Nice job!