Troye Sivan released his third studio album, Something to Give Each Other, Oct. 13, 2023. It’s been five years since the Australian singer released music, and fans have been eager for more material from the pop icon. The 10-track album focuses on the idea of love in all of its forms. While his previous albums are rather naïve and idealistic, when it comes to love, Something to Give Each Other is a mature, realistic version of love, made during a period of being single.
On July 13, 2023, Sivan released the lead single for this album, “Rush.” The pop-house-inspired track is the perfect party anthem and describes Sivan’s attitude toward the party scene. In a British GQ article, the singer described the song as “definitely the most dancey, the most unapologetic club [song], [inspired by] all of the experiences that I’ve had over the last two and a half years.” The purpose of the song is to have fun and enjoy the night, with heavy inspiration from gay clubs. The chant of men in the chorus, “I feel the rush, addicted to your touch,” along with Sivan’s angelic falsetto and the use of reverb make this song addicting. Furthermore, “breathe one, two, three,” and the song title, poke fun at the popular recreational drug commonly known as poppers, with a popular brand called Rush. In the Spotify storyline feature, Sivan said “The verse melody reminded me of really feminine pop in a way that felt hot to me. I wanted to capture the feeling of the heavy, wet air of a nightclub on my skin.” The second track, “What’s The Time Where You Are?” explores the idea of a long-distance relationship, but was inspired by an exchange of texts with an unknown person. In the Spotify storyline, we learn that this unknown lover asked the pop star the time. Sivan was moved by this, explaining, “He definitely could have Googled that. Something about the mundaneness of it– a clear effort just to keep conversing and connecting, no matter how small the topic – felt romantic to me.” The driving beat mimics the feeling of nervousness but excitement when you first begin to talk to someone new. On the other hand, “One Of Your Girls” has to be one of the most vulnerable songs on this album. On the Zach Sang show, reported by Buzzing Pop, on X (formerly known as Twitter), Sivan expressed that this song, “summarized the way I ended up feeling about myself, afterward, which is that, like, you’re this experiment or last resort if you don’t find a girl to hook up with, like, secretly call your gay friend Troye and he’ll come over and do it for you. It didn’t leave me feeling really good a lot of the time.” While the internet has been obsessed with the music video featuring Ross Lynch, and Sivan in drag, I’m drawn to the song for other reasons. First, the chorus is hypnotic, and the use of the vocoder ties the song together. The Spotify storyline explains that the vocoder helped create “this sort of sad robot desperate to connect, there to service someone else, sometimes at the sacrifice of my own feelings.” Sivan perfectly captures the feeling of wanting to feel loved but feeling used in the end. As the album progresses, “In My Room” explores how relationships can be confusing despite loving someone. The song features Guitarricadelafuente, and the blend of Spanish and English perfectly mesh together. The chorus explains that although reality may be confusing, there’s still a lot that can be exciting. “In My Room” focuses on trying to find the right words to say while being alone.
“Still Got It” is about “seeing a past love and realizing they still have all the things that…made you fall in love with them in the first place,” according to the Spotify storyline. The organ instrumental sets the tone for this song. While they’ve both grown apart, Sivan is clearly reminiscing on a relationship from the past, and part of him wishes to get it back. The song ends with a short instrumental, perhaps filling in the words that cannot be found, or even honoring what has happened. “Can’t Go Back, Baby” samples “Back, Baby” by Jessica Pratt. It’s a deeply personal track that also has Sivan looking at the past, but allowing himself to move on to a new chapter. The singer explained in the Spotify storyline, “I was angry, I was sad, but I still felt so much love. I wanted to be gentle, too.” Sivan’s soft and gentle vocals show that he still cares for someone he loves but is ready to move on. “Got Me Started” was the second single for this album, and samples “Shooting Stars” by Bag Raiders. While this song continuously builds up, lyrically and instrumentally, it discusses wanting to be close to someone you just met. “Silly” is “a different kind of sexy…something icy and cool,” according to Spotify’s storyline. The line, “Baby, I’m a love junkie like that,” navigates being obsessed with love, and how he craves it. The verses and the pre-chorus hint at the idea that Sivan wants to be seen. While playing off his intentions as “silly” and not to be taken seriously, Sivan reminds the listener that love is difficult to navigate, and people will do anything to feel loved. The ninth track, “Honey,” focuses on the genuine connection and passion that one can have for someone else. The use of honey reminds us that Sivan’s intentions and thoughts are sweet and pure. Sivan explained on Spotify, “I see love in every space, I see sex in every city, every town really felt like part of the mission statement for the album as a whole.” “Honey” emphasizes that love can be scary, but with the right amount of courage, sweetness, and attraction, one will be able to open up. Lastly, “How To Stay With You” closes out the album with an open ending. Sivan felt a sax solo was the best way to finish the album. In the Spotify storyline, he explained, “It’s an open ending. I have no idea what the future holds, and I’m okay with that.” “How To Stay With You” highlights these themes of uncertainty and longing within a relationship. While there are doubts and obstacles in a relationship, the singer still can picture a future with this person. The closing track remains open-ended and illustrates that although we don’t know the future, we can focus on the present and what we have right now.
Something to Give Each Other shows a gay artist unapologetically embracing his sexuality, showcasing the highs and lows of love. It’s clear that Sivan took his time creating this album, showcasing the maturity not only in his personal life, but in his music as well. It’s also clear that he drew from inspirations such as Janet Jackson. The concept of the album is extremely cohesive throughout, as well as the production. I enjoyed how the production matched the lyrics and topics of each song. For example, in “One Of Your Girls,” Sivan recalls feeling numb so he wanted to sound like a robot, lacking any emotion. This album focuses on his own journey: extremely gentle, yet straightforward at the same time. The use of house, pop, techno, dance, and synth-pop perfectly encapsulates the celebration of love, sex, heartbreak, and queerness. While each track has its individual qualities, my favorites have to be “Honey,” “Silly,” and “In Your Room.” Although there have been a lot of great pop records from this year and previous, the subject matter has an overall feeling of angst, sadness, and other similar emotions. Something to Give Each Other has an overall feeling of love and hope, which makes it attractive to my eyes and is one of the most distinct and incredible pop albums of 2023.