Troye Sivan just gets bigger and better with Something To Give Each Other

Something To Give Each Other comes a whole three years after 2020’s In A Dream EP, and five after his previous album Bloom. Both seem like stepping stones that lead to this release, as his sound, while similar, is fine-tuned and perfected. Where Bloom was a queer love-led narrative of a young man, this release too is wholly connected in its theming and production. However this time, it’s louder and prouder than ever.

The album sees Sivan dissect several aspects of love and relationships, going through it all from newfound love (“Got Me Started,” “In My Room”), sex and intimacy (“Rush,” “Honey”), long distance relationships (“What’s The Time Where You Are?”), discreet affairs with straight men (“One Of Your Girls”), being cheated on (“Can’t Go Back, Baby”), falling out of love (“How To Stay With You”) and then loneliness after it all ends (“Still Got It,” “Silly”). It’s an incredibly authentic body of work, and while the ‘relationship in an album’ trope is admittedly tried, tested and over-done, Sivan does it without becoming cliché or cringe.

Lyrically, this record feels more authentic than ever – it’s a hop skip and a jump away from 2014’s TRXYE and “Happy Little Pill” where things felt somewhat juvenile and inexperienced, and follows In A Dream with its mature, eloquent romanticism – notably on “One Of Your Girls” as he offers himself to a straight male lover. Sivan intertwines typically simple actions and moments with cinematic emotion to create music that you can’t help but feel attached to. “Cut my hair into a bowl,” he sings on “Still Got It,” “After you told me that you liked it like that.”

Production-wise, the album has moments of grandeur similar to 2018’s “My My My!,” taking euphoria literally on “Rush” or on album standout “What’s The Time Where You Are?” – which are notably the two most upbeat tracks positioned at the very beginning of the record. As the tracklist progresses, BPMs are lowered and moods are toned down to show off Sivan’s songwriting prowess against a slick production supporting him. Even his choice of sampling is exceptionally considered, with Bag Raiders’ meme-ified “Shooting Stars” making an appearance on “Got Me Started.”

Troye Sivan is committed to his craft, and committed to perfecting it at that. From his music video epics (where he’s running up skyscrapers and recently appearing in drag) to his attention to the littlest of details in his wording, Troye Sivan is a queer pop artist for the ages. Something To Give Each Other isn’t changing the game or reinventing the musical wheel, but ask yourself: does it need to? It’s exactly what it needs to be, and it's done so incredibly well.