Released August 31, 2018
RATING: 6/7
Troye Sivan shows an authentic side of himself in his second studio album, Bloom. The album is emotional and honest. The mood and feeling of this album are in clear contrast to Sivan’s debut, Blue Neighborhood. The attitudes in Blue Neighborhood, while sincere and meaningful, did not seem as personal as they do in this album. Bloom has a sort of intimate charm to it that is absent from many other albums. No matter what content he is singing about, the words come across honest and heartfelt.
Though he is a gay artist, Troye Sivan’s lyrics in this album speak to a wide audience. His songs hold meaning and a relatable message for the listener. His music touches on things that are not often put in the limelight, especially in the pop music industry. In "The Good Side," Sivan verbalizes his experiences with a breakup that ended in his favor. In this song, he is conveying his guilt for getting the good side of a breakup and how he was able to quickly recover from the broken relationship. He puts his personal touches on the classic breakup song and breaks the stereotypes of people always hating each other after a relationship ends.
A true skill of Sivan’s that can be felt in this album is his talent to convey his emotions through his voice and his words. "Animal" is a perfect example of the sincerity conveyed in his music. You can hear his emotion in every breath. This isn’t unique to Sivan’s songs, but he’s mastered the ability to transport the listener into his thoughts and make them see the subject from his perspective. The album walks you through his life after the break-up, when he finds someone who he is truly happy with.
The emotions that the listener experiences when listening to this album are not exclusive to negative feelings. Listening to this album from beginning to end you will see Sivan at his highest points, when you can feel the lust and desire he has for the subject of the songs, and the vulnerability that he feels when they are around.
Above all, Bloom has songs and lyrics that are more relatable and moving. These are songs that you can listen to when you are feeling heartbroken, delighted, or anywhere in between.
