Since its beginning, YouTube has been an informal audition space for aspiring artists. In the age of Internet celebrity, those of vlogger fame have reversed the usual process by debuting their music in the peak of their online careers. One of them is Troye Sivan, a 20-year-old Australian with over 3 million people subscribed to his vlog-based channel. After gaining traction online, he released his EPs and , which kept fans on the edge of their desk seats, and also received social media endorsements from music industry heavyweights like Adele, Sam Smith, and Taylor Swift. With the release of his first studio album on December 4, Sivan continues his pursuit of musical celebrity. He puts his vulnerability on display with heartbreaking hooks, post-pop synths, and aestheticised emotions.
Blue Neighbourhood is a love letter to the universal ennui of suburbia. It reminds you of bike rides at dusk, green lawns in the summer, and the desire to escape. Each formulaic song takes the listener on an emotional journey; the writing’s imagery is nostalgic, and the slow-paced electronic music is entirely cathartic. The album is an homage to Lorde’s electro-pop suburban voyeurism, paired with any musician’s rose-coloured vision of Hollywood. Sivan’s lyrics evoke the euphoric feeling of being a teenager between the city and the countryside. It is all lovelorn torment, nurtured boredom, and static comfort.
The album is as mellow as a summer night at home and as devastating as the deterioration of a first love. Sivan reflects on teenage naiveté and the desire for status in “COOL”, the search for security in “LOST BOY”, and the longing to stop growing in the Broods-featured “EASE.” Each song moves through the cycles of every adolescent’s introductory experiences to adulthood. A growth from the angst-themed , is his way of coming into his own by penning a romantic dedication to the experience of adolescence.
Sivan has crafted his brand through his YouTube channel. His openness as a vlogger translates into his music, which is just as relatable. His ability to cultivate vulnerability in a way that’s tangible to viewers is what originally catapulted him into the public eye. This kind of careful self-representation through the media is important to many young consumers today; he utilizes his position to create music that performs the nostalgia of teenagedom. As a musician, Sivan’s openness paired with catchy wording and intense breakdowns immediately throws him into the ranks of his contemporary alt-pop peers.
Troye Sivan’s rise to musical fame through YouTube sets him apart from the others; his ability to relate cannot be matched. In a promotional video for the album, Sivan says directly to his channel viewers, “I think to a certain extent, everyone is from a blue neighbourhood.” When he opens “FOOLS” with “I am tired of this place, I hope people change,” he gives the listener a chance to remember that maybe they too once felt that way. From beginning to end, is a reminder that the pains of adolescence are ubiquitous and universal. It’s a return to Sivan’s roots: talking directly to the fans and making what is his, theirs.
Comments are closed.