TROYE SIVAN - SOMETHING TO GIVE EACH OTHER
This past July, when the song ‘Rush’ popped up on every Spotify playlist related to the pop and indie genres, I think it’s safe to say everyone was pleasantly surprised. ‘Rush’ felt like being catapulted into a fever dream that you never want to wake up from, as does the rest of his latest album, Something To Give Each Other. It was anthemic. It was infectious. It felt like house music on steroids with a bunch of wasted football players chanting the choruses for extra flavour, but most importantly it was Troye. Everything Troye has done, from the saccharine tales of young queer love in Blue Neighbourhood to the enthralling snapshots of a twenty-something living his best life in Bloom, has led to this album. It’s hard to believe it has been five years since his last project but Something To Give Each Other is evidence of the craft he has been building on perfectly since the summer of 2018.
Troye made this album for people whose days begin when the sun goes down. They’re driving tightly packed with a group of friends in a very small car to an underground rave where there is not an overwhelming world to deal with, only an infectious beat, a lot of sweat, and a jam-packed room of people around for a good time. He is so defiant with this project, which makes it so attractive. The writing and production are liberating, which could be symbolic of the space he is currently in. It’s baffling to believe that the same lovestruck kid from Australia who was presented to the world in 2015 is approaching thirty with an attitude of fervour and excitement that most people heading there wouldn’t have. That age can feel terrifying, leaving many feeling inadequate and questioning their purpose on this big blue planet. What’s so special about Sivan, is that he doesn’t show that in this album, he quite honestly has nothing left to prove. The album’s title is a testament to its theme, an offering to a friend, a lover, or the world.
Sivan doesn’t simply talk to his lover in this album, he flirts. He encourages his lover to let go with him and dance into the night as if there’s no tomorrow, somewhat urging them to cross that blurred line between living and simply existing. He fluctuates between a normal tenor and a soft falsetto that feels like lying on a blanket of silk in electropop tracks like Silly and Honey.
‘What’s The Time Where You Are’ is the type of misty-eyed love letter that you lock in a safe whereas ‘Got Me Started’ is a garage-inspired gem that infuses you with a buoyant, zestful kick, perfect for a song about intense lust. Troye reminds us that he’s still the hopeless romantic with stars in his eyes from eight years ago in Blue Neighbourhood, but this time, if things do not last, then it’s alright. Sivan seems to understand that some experiences and people are temporary - only to be here for a moment - and politely bidded farewell to those situations later on. However, Sivan makes sure to make it known that he is grateful for those moments, holding every microsecond into the palm of his hands and never letting go, within the record.
Troye has already come into his own as an artist but with Something to Give Each Other it feels like he is just letting loose, taking whatever life throws at him with a bright smile and a kiss. Listening to the album, it makes you wonder if Troye said to his producers, “Hey guys let's go in the studio and see what happens” and came out with some of his best work yet. Life is his party and a pretty amazing one at that.
Alana Brown-Davis
★★★★☆