“Guys, we’re f**king doing this. Are we? We are… we’re leaking music.”

After only six days into quarantine, Melbourne grown artist Troye Sivan took to Instagram live to announce that his first single following his 2018 sophomore album, Bloom, would be released. Sending his fan base into a frenzy while dropping lyrics and audio snippets of Take Yourself Home, the first single on Sivan’s new ep In A Dream, launched the start of a new era for the singer. Following a recent breakup, In A Dream mixes raw emotion with experimental pop as we see the artist grow into himself in a time of utter uncertainty. 

Take Yourself Home 

Opening this track with mournful harmonies, Sivan makes the record known with this track that this is not a happy ep. Hiding sad lyrics behind up beat production, Sivan explains his return back to his home country, Australia, as the pandemic hit, singing in the opener “I’m sad in the city, sing if you’re with me. If i’m gonna die let’s die somewhere pretty”. Taking an unexpected turn, the track goes from closing melodies to underground as the track comes to an abrupt halt.  

Easy 

Kicked off with a kick drum, Sivan releases his signature, a sad boi bop. On this track, Sivan is more honest than he ever has been before, confessing in the pre-chorus “I can’t even look at you. Would you look at the space right next to your feet? The wood is warping. The lines distorting. This house is on fire. Burning the tears right off my face. What the hell did we do? Tell me, we’ll make it through”. Though this pop anthem goes down with ease, the lyrics are a tough pill to swallow as it goes further and further into the track.  

could cry just thinking about you

On the third track of Sivan’s second ep, we see Troye hold on to a past relationship as he heads into a chapter of uncertainty. Stripped back to guitar and dreamy vocals, heartbreak is fresh. Although he is mourning the end of a relationship, Sivan stays optimistic as he closes the track out with “I don’t know who I am with or without you. But I guess I’m ‘bout to find out”.  

STUD

Following could cry just thinking about you, Sivan dives into the topic of body image, more specifically, body image within the gay community. Here, he opens up the dialogue of body expectations and how he saw himself because of them. Heartbreakingly singing in the opening verse “How much of me would you take? And how much of me would you change?” Revisiting the ending of Take Yourself Home, Sivan takes us back to nightlife. Listening as he ventures through the club, Sivan creates a hidden pocket of underground ecstasy through grimy basses and strobing synths with STUD. 

10/10

Unlike the chaos of STUD, 10/10 is a beautiful ballad about unconditional love and a journey filled of ups and downs within a relationship. Stripped back, Sivan leaves his impeccable production behind, and lets his voice and lyrics do the talking. Airy and dreamlike, this is the perfect song to listen to whether you’re alone in your room or driving down backgrounds with the one you love.  

Rager teenager!

Filled to the brim with teen angst, Sivan goes back to old roots on the last track of this record. Unlike the other tracks, here, it feels as though Sivan has found a breath of fresh air and is no longer suffocated by his past. Writing a message to his younger self, singing “Hey my lil’ rager, teenager I’ve missed you around, yeah missed you around”, Sivan encapsulates suburban rebellion. Combined with aggressive synths and drums and relinquishment from the past, Sivan writes the perfect ballad for his younger self as he comes into his own.

IN A DREAM  

A fever dream encapsulated in vintage pop and disruptive production, Troye closes out the ep with an ambitiously fun track perfect for unabashed dancing. Combining modern and old, Sivan takes no prisoners with IN A DREAM, as he concludes this break up anthem and brings much needed closure to an unforgettable chapter in his life.