There’s a sadface teen inside us all. And with Troye Sivan’s debut album, we now have the means to indulge our teen fantasies.
It’s called ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ and it’s clear that Sivan
himself is feeling pretty blue, wracked with teen anxiety. The Quiet, for instance, depicts a relationship ending in silence (“anything
hurts less than the quiet”); on Cool,
he’s just “tryna be cool” to impress his lover; “my youth is yours” he claims
on Youth; and Lost Boy appropriately explores loss of identity and unknown
feelings of love. The track titles alone should give an idea as to the pain,
angst and inner turmoil present in each song.
Together, though, they paint an incredibly cinematic musical
picture of the lives of millennial teens – in shades of blue no less. Sivan may
have begun his career on YouTube, but it’s clear that his popularity has risen
due to the relatable nature of his music. Even those past their teens can look
back on these songs with a sense of nostalgia. And when Sivan does delve into
other ideas, as on Suburbia that
explores his rise to fame, it’s done through the lens of the everyman with its
imagery of suburban life.
Yet Sivan achieves more: in his music, he’s normalising gay
relationships. for him. is the most
obvious love song here, but its title is enough to describe the subject. Bite, meanwhile, portrays Sivan’s
trepidation after he first visited a gay club (“please don’t bite”). It’s in
his videos that he’s making waves though – together they outline a same-sex
relationship and the difficulties faced. It is comforting to know that in 2015,
an openly gay popstar with a huge youthful following is free to explore his
feelings in the public eye.
The extended narrative doesn’t quite work in the context of
the album. In deluxe form, ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ is a lengthy collection of
songs whose downbeat nature does become a slight dirge. The production is awash
with trap beats and sombre synths that squelch and fizz, encapsulating the
sounds of current pop. What is sometimes missing is the edginess of, say, Lorde
(an obvious contemporary) and Sivan’s vocal is perhaps unremarkable. More so,
anyone familiar with his recent EP ‘Wild’ will have heard the best on offer
here.
Yet it’s the honesty of the songwriting that really impresses, wrapped up in nagging hooks and production that’s warm and comforting one minute and coldly modern the next. It’s no coincidence that a popstar whose fame has arisen on the internet would create an album full of computerised music, but there’s genuine heart here that pulls it all together.
Yet it’s the honesty of the songwriting that really impresses, wrapped up in nagging hooks and production that’s warm and comforting one minute and coldly modern the next. It’s no coincidence that a popstar whose fame has arisen on the internet would create an album full of computerised music, but there’s genuine heart here that pulls it all together.
When it works, it results in excellent pop like opener (and
standout) Wild. It might focus on the
rush of new love, but its downbeat production and yearning melodies create a
thrilling juxtaposition – happy-sad pop at its finest that’s not just for internet
savvy sadface teens to revel in.
4/5
Gizzle’s choice:
* Wild
* Fools
* The Quiet
Listen: 'Blue Neighbourhood' is available now.
