Troye Sivan | Bloom | Album Review

EMI
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

YouTuber turned musical artist Troye Sivan is redefining what it means to be a male sex icon with his second studio album Bloom. The album chronicles his journey of coming out and defining his sexuality. Bloom encompasses the vulnerable feeling of growing up and the pride of feeling comfortable in an identity, intertwined with the heartbreak of falling in and out of love.

Bloom can best be described in terms that aren’t typical to the male pop album: vulnerable, delicate, honest, and incredibly flirty. Songs like “Seventeen” and the title track, “Bloom,” feature bouncy synthesizer and echoing bass drums to accompany Sivan’s powerfully gentle and honest voice. “Plum” captures the sexual nature of the album with coy lyrics that describe sleeping with a new lover, comparing it to tangerines and pears, drawing similarities to the infamous apricot scene in Call Me By Your Name.

Sivan has openly acknowledged his luck in life. In an interview with Another Man Magazine, he said, “All of my dreams have come true by 22. I had the easiest coming out in the world…There are plenty of other people who need to be heard first.” He encapsulates this sentiment in “The Good Side,” the only track to feature an acoustic guitar; it functions as an intermission in the album. The synths from the rest of the album bookend the beginning and end of the track, creating an eerily beautiful entrance and exit, allowing listeners a space to think about each word Sivan has sung.

Bloom takes on an entirely new view of modern queer representation in music. Sivan has sewn his growing up and acceptance of his sexuality into every aspect of the album. Full of methodical ballads and upbeat dance tracks, Sivan continues to reimagine modern day masculinity.