Music review-Creative shackles lifted by incorporating new style

Linda Puga
campus editor

Troye Sivan
Australian YouTuber Troye Sivan returns with a new EP and a brand new sound

Australian singer-songwriter, actor and YouTuber Troye Sivan began his musical career in 2015 and has since dropped two albums. The 25-year-old triple threat released his latest body of work on August 21st, an EP titled “In A Dream” containing six tracks. 

Unlike his previous albums, “In A Dream” distinguishes itself even before diving into the music. 

The change in titles in this project, though a minor detail, can represent significance in the way he carries his music because of the creative freedom showcased in shortening song lengths and expressing titles in original ways as he heads into his next era. This EP does a great job at segueing into a new direction and a new sound for Sivan for his albums to come. 

The EP contains the track “Easy” and despite its groovy production, it tells a story of someone trying to save a relationship and make sense of the mess that follows. 

The standout track in the project is “could cry just thinkin about you.” Not only is the title an instant attention grabber, but the track is only 52 seconds long. The slow and mellow production matched the vulnerability in the song nicely. Though it only consists of one verse, you can tell the lyrics centered around the idea of one person came from Sivan’s heart. 

“STUD” and “IN A DREAM” go hand in hand, not only because of title similarities, but melodically as well. They are both laid-back tracks, until “IN A DREAM” kicks in some upbeat tempo and a change of production. Though they deal with different subjects, they are both highly enjoyable tracks. 

“STUD” talks about a one-night stand, touching on feelings of temporary love and attraction, making it a feisty track. The title track “IN A DREAM,” on the other hand, is more mellow in content as Sivan talks about the struggle with avoiding someone you still know and love. He showcases the feeling of giving your heart out only so many times before breaking with the line, “’Cause my spirit’s wearing thin. And there’s only so much I can give, I won’t let you in again.”

A memorable aspect of this project is the production in the song structure. Through the tracks “Rager teenager!” and “Take Yourself Home,” the conclusion of both songs is a fade out of background vocals and instrumental for a duration longer than most artists would have, which is only seconds before leading into the next track. 

A persistent yet significant factor within.