Pop music has hit a lull in the past few months. Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are busy touring, Dua Lipa is missing in action, and Ariana Grande is busy getting raked over the Twitter coals for her new boyfriend. A few select artists have provided tunes throughout the recent slump—credit to Olivia Rodrigo. But none have emerged as swiftly and decisively as Troye Sivan, whose new album Something to Give Each Other has revived our appetites for the popstar.
His album release began with “Rush,” a lead single titled after everyone’s favourite brand of poppers. With a house beat and a chant-like chorus, the single lives up to its namesake—an addictive opener. The music video features a sweaty Sivan, hedonistic Euro-summer visuals, and decidedly cheeky choreography. Compared with Sivan’s innocent debut, Blue Neighbourhood, and his less precocious 2018 album Bloom, this release was unabashedly more queer, fun, and sexy.
His second single, “One of Your Girls,” was an instant hit largely owing to Sivan’s bold music video. Featuring former Disney Channel heartthrob Ross Lynch and Sivan himself in incredible drag, the video immediately flooded Twitter feeds and is currently at 8.7 million views. With seductive choreography and Y2K outfits, the visuals draw heavily on early 2000s pop icons like Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé (note the “Single Ladies”-esque black and white scene with the bar). Sivan is taking pop stardom seriously by calling back to its golden age.
The rest of the album is a great mix of slow tunes and uptempo pop. Sivan includes some inventive sampling, such as an electronic hook from Bag Raiders on “Got Me Started” and a clip of Jessica Pratt’s folky warble in “Can’t Go Back, Baby.” Sivan’s increasing comfort with experimentation is paying off—his music has far exceeded its bedroom pop origins.
With a new commitment to choreography and boy toys in tow, Troye Sivan’s new album asserts that he is every bit the pop diva. He has cornered his market with new maturity and confidence, giving people the pop iconography that they want and need.
