Rating: 7/10
From its steamy album cover to a very sexually-suggestive 33 minutes of music, Troye Sivan’s “Something to Give Each Other” (2023) is a hypnotic, errotic and queer bombshell of a release for the pop-star.
Released Friday, Oct. 13, “Something to Give Each Other,” or “Something,” is the 28-year-old Australian singer’s third studio album, following “Bloom” (2018) and “Blue Neighborhood” (2015). While these two projects did result in pop hits “My My My!” (2018) and “YOUTH” (2015), Sivan is still relatively green in terms of mainstream establishment, meaning a five-year hiatus could’ve proven an error for a pop prince who did not yet have the keys to the kingdom. Despite this, however, Sivan came back strong and concrete with his newest album, producing a project that is simultaneously raw, sexy and undeniably soul-barring.
In its simplest form, “Something” sounds like the soundtrack to a European synth-pop summer. Radiating an aura of sweaty intoxication, strobe lights and quick glances across a crowded club (all with the backdrop of a beat that is sure to reappear in a pounding hangover headache), the album is an undeniable pop powerhouse, further solidifying Sivan’s sound and artistry.
Exemplifying the blurry fist-pumping club feel, “Rush,” “Silly,” “What’s The Time Where You are?” and “Got Me Started” are definitive dance hits, simultaneously blending muted electric beats with distinctive pop melodies. “Rush,” which was originally released by Sivan back in July as the album’s lead single, is the perfect lead-off into “Something,” introducing the album’s smooth, euphoric feel and sex-filled undertones. It also reached a fair level of virality, with Sivan’s strong TikTok promotion of the song and music video resulting in a fair amount of circulation around social media.
Similarly, “One Of Your Girls,” which was released alongside a risqué music video, has also gained considerable attention online. While the song itself is an indisputable standout of the album, melding polished, sensual sonics with clever songwriting, the music video — which stars singer Ross Lynch and Sivan himself in full drag — is just as exceptional. The video was also a fairly wise marketing move, seeing as Ross Lynch receiving a lap dance from Sivan’s hot blonde alter ego is a scene that will be sure to go down in the book of iconic pop-culture moments.
A relatively unique track off “Something” is the slower, more resentful “Can’t Go Back, Baby. ” Self-described by Sivan as a song he wrote “from an angry-place,” “Can’t Go Back, Baby” does not produce the same addictively catchy club beat as many of the project’s other tracks, but does reach a level of vulnerability that rivals any song on the rest of the album. Furthermore, while sonically, this song may not necessarily be a stand-out, its lyricism is honest, relatable and sadly nostalgic, resulting in a track that is both distinct and bare.
Ultimately, “Something to Give Each Other” feels like it is only the beginning for Sivan. Despite the fact that as an artist, it’s already been nearly eight years since Sivan stepped onto the scene, this album feels like a solidified and cohesive statement for the direction he will continue his music and artistic vision.
