Troye Sivan is arguably one of the more c musicians of our current digital age as a former YouTube sensation whose music career sprung into full action with the support of his loving fan base and his undeniable talent. With hits from his debut album, Blue Neighborhood, such as “WILD” and “YOUTH,” followed by hits like “Dance to This” featuring Ariana Grande and “My My My!” from his sophomore album, Bloom, Sivan has proven to be largely successful. However, there are some songs in his discography that are relatively underrated in comparison to the streams of more popular singles and features. As a result, here is a list of my favorite underrated Troye Sivan songs that you should know about.
Note: In this article, I use the word “underrated” from the perspective of the general public, while also looking at the songs that have relatively low streams on Spotify. As a long-time supporter of Troye Sivan, I recognize that some of these songs can be easily recognizable, but they do seem to be less streamed and known by listeners outside of his fan base.
Lyrics courtesy of Genuis website.
- Fun – trxye (2014)
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Listen to what I tell you
You’ll see, my son
Now you know what you gotta do
Let’s go have funFrom his debut EP, TRXYE, “Fun” is a bright, vibey song with lyrics that are anything but a good time. Behind the pop melody, the lyrics establish a commentary on war and how the military draws young men into combat, but there is nothing fun about war. If I were to recommend any new Troye Sivan supporter to listen to a song from near the beginning of his recording career, this song would be at the top of my list because the contrast between the lyrics and the beat is genius.
- Gasoline – TRXYE (2014)
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Please bathe me now, wash me clean
Just set my heart on fire
Like gasolineA staple song among older listeners, “Gasoline” is a smoother contrast to “Fun” in that it begins as a soft declaration of tumultuous sentiments towards a lover before merging into a seemingly desperate revelation of untamed desire to be punished driven by guilt with heavier beats as the song progresses. This is one of my favorites because of the anguish that Sivan coaxes into this song both lyrically and vocally.
- Cool – Blue neighborhood (2015)
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I was just trying to be cool
I was just trying to be like you
I’m a spark and you’re a boom
What am I supposed to do?While this song is one of the cheerier songs on his debut album, Blue Neighborhood, Sivan is still brutally honest about the social construction of coolness and his desire to be “cool” in ways that may not be healthy or even practical. The lyrics touch on the romanization of coolness in popular culture and further tell a reality that I have not seen so accurately captured other than in this song, which is why this is one of my favorites.
- Too Good – Blue Neighborhood (2015)
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Too good to be good for me
Too bad that that’s all I need
Too good to be good for me
Too bad that that’s all I need
All I needThe sultry and vocally-charged anthem of seduction of “TOO GOOD” demonstrates Sivan’s capacity to take charge of his sexuality in a song that still lyrically touches on the toxic but unavoidable pull toward loving someone that ultimately is unattainable. Musically, this song is seductive to my ears and is a constant repeat for me, which makes it one of my favorites.
- Seventeen – Bloom (2018)
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And he said age is just a number, just like any other
We can do whatever, do whatever you want
Boy becomes a man now
Can’t tell a man to slow down
He’ll just do whatever, do whatever he wantsThis song has a coming-of-age feel that is synonymous with its emphasis on being seventeen. Sivan’s rendition of youth is captured quite well in this song through the concept of being young and looking for love. However, underneath the surface, this song hones in the tension between being underage and exposing the self to dating older men, which is not necessarily romantic or even safe. For this reason, the lyrics bring this song forth as one of my lasting favorites.
- Animal – bloom (2018)
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An ode to the boy I love
Boy, I’ll die to care for you
You’re mine, mine, mine, tell me who do I owe that to?Sivan’s soft vocals are a large focus of this less lyrically charged song in comparison to his other songs as it is a manifestation of pure devotion towards a lover. Yet, the song shifts into a more synthesized vocal tone that adds an almost seductive and ethereal instruction to this declaration of love. This is one of my favorites as the combination of these elements creates a satisfying feeling of capturing what it means to be utterly in love with someone.
- Stud – In a dream (2020)
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Just let me believe that
You like what you’re seeing
When you’re looking at me
And your heartbeat is speeding
At seven hundred miles down highways to Eden
Like my body’s the apple you’re eating
YeahNow, this song was the inspiration for this article actually. Out of the songs of Sivan’s most recent EP, In a Dream, STUD only has around 8 million streams on Spotify, which makes it the second to last least streamed song, only by a million plays, so it is quite close to being the least popular song off the EP, which is unacceptable. While it seems like 8 million is not a small number, in comparison to his other songs in general, it is significantly less played. For me, there is something about the opening notes that captivate me and make my fingers wiggle in tune with the beat. The upbeat, dance party feel that is present throughout the song brilliantly reveals the theme through the lyrics. Like with “Seventeen,” Sivan lyrically imposes a recognition of the contrast in the appearance of men and what it means to be attractive in a society where being “so big and strong and so buff” is a preferred choice. For these reasons, it is offensive that STUD is quite underrated when compared to other songs from Sivan’s discography.
I am sure there may be different perspectives on whether some of these songs are underrated or not, but regardless, they each deserve a stream, so rush to your streaming platform of choice and take the time to listen to each of these incredible songs!