Album in Review: IN A DREAM by Troye Sivan
Howdy y’all! For our very first weekly album review, we’re taking a look at the latest offering from one of our absolute favourite artists—Troye Sivan. With a burgeoning career that started on YouTube in 2007, Troye’s been putting out bangers since 2014. One EP and two studio albums later, he’s back with his new EP IN A DREAM. Read the team’s thoughts on the new EP below!!
How does this EP compare to Troye’s last one (TRXYE released in 2014)?
[LAURA] The thing that I love about this EP is that it feels like such a natural progression of events for Troye. What I mean by that is it keeps so many of the elements of his earlier music in terms of the big hooks, the obvious electronic elements, and also just the fact that it still fits into his hyperpop niche. That being said, the most obvious difference is how much more mature Troye is now. It feels like he’s completely stepped into his ‘brand.’ When you listen to the words of each song, it just sounds like he’s writing from a much happier place. This is really evident in ‘Rager teenager!’ You can tell that he’s drawing on his experiences in a reflective, almost nostalgic way whereas in his earlier stuff you could hear the pain and confusion coming through in each track.
[CAITLIN] The first contrast that draws my attention is the difference between the album cover art. Troye has always used the color blue as a fixation in his work but the more pastel blues of TRXYE versus the midnight tones of IN A DREAM specifically make me think of his journey to understand himself as well as adulthood. Both EPs describe experiences with love, pain, and desire but from perspectives of a younger and an older Troye. A more naive Troye expresses his desires on TRXYE. It’s clear in IN A DREAM Troye is more reminiscent of his innocence from his youth but has come to terms with his teenage years being over.
[KOLYA].TRXYE felt right for me personally at the time, and IN A DREAM feels right for this moment in time. I think it's similar for the artist — TRXYE is filled with ear-shattering bubblegum pop moments that capture the energy of watching him and Tyler Oakley on Youtube in your bed in middle school. IN A DREAM feels like a more adult project, one where he not only grows up production-wise, with a broader range of lush pop textures, but also sings about more mature topics: queer body issues, adult breakups, and looking back on his time as a teenager. Lastly, IN A DREAM feels more unique for the time — there was a lot of music that sounded like TRXYE in 2014. He’s beginning to craft his own unique, recognizable sound, which I find very compelling.
Many of the visuals of this album came from Troye alone in his bedroom. How did you like them? Do you think they hold up to his past ones?
[LAURA] On this one, even though the visuals might not have been as ‘professional’ as those for his other albums I think they work really well. The visualizers feel very avant-garde and honestly a bit like something out of an acid trip but I think that’s sort of the whole point. They’re loud, They’re bold, they’re so distorted you can barely tell what’s going on, and with the tone of this EP, they fit just right.
[CAITLIN] Personally, I loved the visuals! Seeing Troye revert to his Youtuber-self and really show his creative side was great. The at home visuals I think really built on the idea of being inside of a dream. The oversaturated and grainy videos he made with airy statements really solidified the ethereal nature of the songs— it was the perfect way to pair the concept with his editing skills.
[KOLYA] I got very My Bloody Valentine, Indie girl, blown out vibes from these visuals — similar to bits of the Lucky Strike video from 2019. I agree that it felt grown up, while simultaneously referencing his youtuber history and the shared isolation we all feel due to COVID-19. I still don’t think anything tops the euphoric warehouse high of “My My My,’ but what ever will?
While Troye has always made good use of synth throughout his many works, this album’s style strayed from his typical songs by adding sonically interesting twists. Did you like this change?
[LAURA] From a technical perspective, you can really hear the 80s influence on this album and I’m HERE for it!!!! In ‘Easy’ it’s so cool to hear him embracing that sound. The other thing I love is how he’s really embracing that Europop/house-beat type style, especially on ‘STUD’ and ‘Take Yourself Home.’ So damn cool. Again, I think it just goes to show how mature he’s come. Writing for that type of track is a whole different ball game than writing your standard radio pop hit, and doing so requires a level of comfort in your craft. I think we really see that on this EP.
[CAITLIN] I’m a big fan of experimentation: without it, so many niche and popular genres wouldn’t even exist today. So naturally, when Take Yourself Home dropped earlier this year, I was really excited to see the direction his new project would go. With that song specifically, I find myself looking forward to the moment when the soft tones of the song break down into a more house-like rhythm. Another song that I find particularly sonically interesting is rager teenager mainly because of the use of brassy instrumentals and kind of staggered drum beat. Basically, I was very happy to see this change. Based off his past work, I know troye doesn't shy away from sonic twists, but seeing more being implemented in his newer works makes me excited to experience his growth as an artist even more.
[KOLYA] Y’all already talked about ‘Take Yourself Home’, but really I still can’t get over that outro. It’s such a breath of fresh air in contrast to Troye’s muted delivery. I think one of the best things about this EP is how the musical choices complement the messages of the songs. Whether it’s the crumbling techno of ‘Take Yourself Home’ representing the call-too-complex city Troye desperately wants to escape, or the warm Vagabon-esque synths of ‘Easy’ reveling in the fire of his dissolving relationship, the production always serves to further his writing.
The cover art of the EP reminds me of a coming of age film, how do you think this cover compares to past ones? Does it give you a similar vibe?
[LAURA] To me, the cover art is also just a part of his maturation. I still see the old Troye in it, but it’s updated for this era. I think it’s all just part of his growth as an artist.
[CAITLIN] The cover keeps up the soft tones of his music and demeanor seen throughout his past album art. The dazed visuals and dreamy vocals to me combine to make a coming of age type haze; he seems to have a better understanding of himself and his love.
[KOLYA] I always saw the cover as Troye falling underwater — his face has the calmness present in only bodies that are deep in slumber or gone from this world. He falls into the deep blue just as in isolation he sinks further into his subconscious and his insecurities on this EP.
What was your favorite song in the album? Why?
[LAURA] I honestly cannot choose between ‘Rager teenager!’ And ‘STUD’. ‘Rager’ gives me the classic end-of-a-movie vibe that I need in my life, but ‘STUD’ is just so sultry and fun to listen to. I’m also a sucker for a good house beat sooooo…..
[CAITLIN] Hands down IN A DREAM. It just feels freeing. Like a I’m-dancing-in-the-rain-alone-because-I’ve-never-felt-so-free vibe.
[KOLYA] It’s close for me between ‘STUD’ and ‘Take Yourself Home.’ I love the experimentation of the lead single, and that video is as cool as it is vertigo-inducing. ‘STUD’ wades into really compelling issues of body insecurity, specifically in the mlm community, and talks about male sexuality in a way I sadly rarely see, but I think the melancholy of ‘Take Yourself Home’ puts it over the top for me.
What distinct trademark of Troye’s music did you notice in the EP?
[LAURA] The synths. We touched on this a bit, but it’s just always the synths. And also his dreamy vocals. I love his tone so damn much.
[CAITLIN] Like Laura said, the dreamy vocals have always been a staple of his. Aside from that, the “blue” tone of lyrics is very much on brand.
[KOLYA] Certainly all of the above, but I think Troye really reinforces that his music is freaking sexy. From the bodies described in ‘STUD’ to the flames of ‘Easy’ to the sweaty club gyrations of ‘Take Yourself Home,’ Troye picks up right where queer anthem ‘Bloom,’ Call Me by Your Name-esque ‘Plum,’ and song of the year 2019 contender ‘My My My!’ left off.
Do you think that this EP will serve as a turning point in Troye’s music both sonically and thematically?
[LAURA] Definitely. It feels like he’s moving on to more interesting sounds. He’s always been good at this, but now I really see him leaning into the instrumental elements of songs. I think we saw a bit of that on Bloom with tracks like ‘The Good Side’ and ‘Animal,’ but it’s more present now. Thematically, I still think we’re seeing his usual blend of desire, love, and figuring sh*t out. I’m certainly not complaining, though.
[CAITLIN] Yup. You can tell with both this EP and Bloom that he’s more mature than he was with his earlier projects. The lyrics show that he looks at love and intimacy with a sense of wisdom that was underdeveloped earlier. Same topics, new perspective. As for the sonic change, I see it most in the heavy instrumentals as Laura said.
[KOLYA] I hope so! If he leans into the complex queer narratives and occasional left-field instrumentation of this EP I can see the next album as some sort of woozy, clubby mix of Charli XCX, P.C. Music, Max Martin, Frank Ocean, the Japanese House, Conan Gray, Vegyn, and KAYTRANADA. If that mix of artists doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will. He’s come a long way from the occasionally Kidz Bop-adjacent bubblegum pop of his early career. He’s an adult, he’s sexy, conflicted and queer (aren’t we all?) and I can’t wait to see what happens once he wakes up.