For an artist of his prominence, flair, and grandeur, it completely astounds me just how stirring Troye Sivan’s music can be to even the average listener. Sivan’s impressive resume includes serving as an icon to the LGBTQ+ community, an inspiration to thousands aspiring to enter the industry, and an idol to the millions who listen to his work every month.

Yet, at its heart, despite this vast fame, his music remains staggeringly engaging and truly moving for those he makes music for– his fans. His newly-released album Bloom perfectly encompasses this spirit, and the result is the passionate journey listeners are taken on throughout the album.

The album begins with “Seventeen,” an intense look into the struggles Sivan found looking for love at the age of seventeen. With a catchy beat and audible angst in his voice, “Seventeen” sets listeners up perfectly for what’s to come. Each of the nine following songs contains something different, from the mystical to the downright poignant.

For me, favorites included “My My My,” the early-release single that begs to be blasted from car speakers on a cool night with the windows down. In an interview, Sivan said he “was looking for that exhale of relief and liberation and excitement.”

I think this sentiment was truly conveyed in the euphoria that radiates from the track. Additionally, “What A Heavenly Way to Die,” a crooning ballad, revolves around the crackling, raw emotion behind Sivan’s voice. Lastly, this list wouldn’t be complete without “Plum,” an unforgettable track that holds far deeper meaning surrounding life’s ephemeral moments behind its lines. “Even the sweetest plum has only got so long,” Sivan sings with agony.

To be completely clear, Bloom is in no way consistent. Rather, periodical is a better word to illuminate its cycling succession of distressed, energetic, and melancholic tones. It’s a refreshing change from reiterative albums that ceaselessly exemplify life and love. Bloom is so much more real, and the product of this honesty and the raw talent that Sivan possesses is a listener who becomes truly captivated.

Sivan is an artist of evolution, and you can see the changes in his feelings personified in the form of his songs and lyrics. That is the reason why, for me, the highlight of the album is the production and Sivan himself. From his updates to his fans to his constant gratitude towards them, one can tell that this experience was one that pushed his boundaries. Troye Sivan continues to stay true to himself, holds a humble way about him, and exudes a message of self-love for all.

I’m connected, impressed, and engaged with Bloom and Troye Sivan in every way. In an interview, Sivan said that in Bloom, he was hoping to “sum up that feeling of complete freedom,” and the wave of emotion the album evokes completely exemplifies that idea.