Label: Capitol Records
Released: 13th October 2023
Troye Sivan is taking you out for the night – be prepared. It will be messy, of course, but above all else, it will be exhilarating, and freeing. On ‘Something to Give Each Other’, Troye Sivan weaves a tale that plays out under the dim lights of a club; a tale of dancing until your muscles ache, of falling in love on the dancefloor, of sweat and tears and most importantly, finding yourself with every beat. It’s a celebration of returning to who you once were and rejoicing in who you could yet be – this is Troye Sivan at his most liberated and ecstatic yet.
It’s a comeback that has been long-awaited, and one marked by the changes of the last five years since ‘Bloom’. ‘Rush’ is a simmering, sweaty reintroduction to Troye that sees him find something near sacred in the serotonin-heavy dance-pop – it’s the perfect primer for this album’s narrative. Infatuation bottled, it’s a simmering start that continues into ‘What’s The Time Where You Are’. Disco beats and synths soundtrack the yearning that follows the sticky heat of ‘Rush’; the night is well and truly taking hold.
Through the Daft Punk reminiscent ‘One of Your Girls’, that desperation and delirious glee continues to come in droves. Yet, as with every memorable night out, there are dramatic lows to match the overwhelming joy. ‘Still Got It’ is the tears in a cubicle, emotions heightened and careening out uncontrollably. It’s a return to the emotional weight of ‘Blue Neighbourhood’, Troye’s debut – the starkness of the lyricism and the rawness of those feelings so palpable in Troye’s vocals recall that period, but with a newfound surety and maturity. ‘Can’t Go Back, Baby’ is a reminder that amidst that nostalgia there is a need to push forwards and continue.
In the wake of those realisations, those tears are eventually dried – friends rally around and the thrill of your favourite song pounding through the speakers acts an antidote. Troye is all too aware of that natural progression; ‘Got Me Started’ is an act of resurrection. Reawakened and reignited, Troye dances with a new energy to the ‘Shooting Stars’ sampling track.
As the album draws to a close, a giddy acceptance and freedom has emerged from every smoke-filled corner of this particular nightclub. Spilling out into the early morning, Troye concludes his night with a fresh perspective, one defined by love and feeling and revelry. On ‘Something to Give Each Other’, Troye Sivan gives an opportunity to freely dance and explore, to embrace queerness and the highest heights of sensation and passion. He gives the opportunity to allow the slick, cart-wheeling euphoria of this album to completely swallow you whole.
