Australian pop singer Troye Sivan is back after five years with his third studio album. Sivan – who wrote every song on the album himself together with talented songwriters and producers such as Leland and OZGO – describes it as “a celebration of sex, dance, sweat, community, queerness, love and friendship”. It seems that with every new album the singer puts out, he’s continuously spreading more and more queer joy.
The album starts off with the single ‘Rush’, an instant hit that went viral on Tiktok right upon its release. It immediately sets the tone for the rest of the album with its catchiness and clear themes of lust. Sivan has grown more confident over the years and free to be himself. He states that “Rush is the feeling of kissing a sweaty stranger on a dancefloor” – he is free to do whatever he wants, wherever he wants and with whomever he wants. He has found his community and is giving back to them with tracks like this.
Next up is the more laid-back and soft-spoken ‘What’s the Time Where You Are?’ – a line that Sivan was texted by a crush and that was turned into a song title. The catchy synth pop track speaks of a long-distance relationship and newfound sparks, of the possibility of loving again after having gone through a harsh break-up.
‘One of Your Girls’, according to Sivan, is a song about hooking up with a man who has not been interested in the same sex before – as is evident from the lyric “I’ll be like one of your girls or your homies”. The ‘sad robot’ effect in the chorus is reminiscent of Kavinsky’s ‘Night Call’, the soundtrack of Drive. In the track’s music video that was released together with the album we see Sivan looking very pretty in drag – perfectly fitting the aforementioned lyric.
Moving on to the first and only real collaboration on this album, ‘In My Room’, which features the vocals of Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente. It is a cute and dreamy synth-pop track about having a crush – specifically, Sivan looks back on the first crush he has ever had and compares this to a more recent one in the lyrics “Am I fucking sixteen? (…) ‘Cause you mess me, test me, wreck me”. The Spanish lyrics are a nice addition to the track and to the album as a whole, making it ever so slightly more unique than your average song.
‘Still Got It’ is seemingly the slowest track on the album that features the sounds of an organ. On this one, Sivan sings about bumping into his ex and the pain this causes him, realizing that he’s not quite over this person yet. It is a cute yet sad song that clearly looks back on the break-up he went through before the release of this album. Track 6, ‘Can’t Go Back, Baby’, speaks of this break-up a bit more. Sivan is angry and hurt, yet also quite soft and loving on this one. He seems to be upset about how everything has gone down, but at the same time still cares for his ex-partner while also stating that he’s managed to find self-love in the aftermath of this relationship. He sings that he “lay[s] with so much love to take your place”. So, while he’s no longer got someone besides him, the love he has for himself is enough to fill the void. The track samples Jessica Pratt’s ‘Back Baby’ repeatedly, like a mantra within Sivan’s head, helping him get over his ex.
‘Got Me Started’ was the album’s second single and features yet another sample, this time of Bag Raiders’ ‘Shooting Stars’. The song is about Sivan moving on from his previous relationship by “remembering who [he is] and that people are hot”. Both in ‘Rush’ and in ‘Got Me Started’, Sivan mentions the album’s title. It seems that the “something” Sivan and another man have to give each other is inherently sexual in nature. Both singles are clearly about lust, not so much about love.
Next up is ‘Silly’, a softer party track with a fast-based beat and lots of vocal layering. Sivan sings in falsetto here as a lead vocal and speaks of what he calls “icy, cool sexy”. The song is about how he’s a “love junkie” that can be very easily reeled back in by someone. The song samples music by Italian singer Elettra Lamborghini – the final sample of this album.
The sound of ‘Honey’ is a bit more reminiscent of Sivan’s debut album Blue Neighbourhood, but is thematically very much in line with the rest of this latest release. Sivan sings “give me the courage to accept things I cannot change” and “to say all these things I feel about you”. The song is a very joyous one about having a crush and not knowing how to express this, but loving the feeling anyway.
Finally, the album finishes off with ‘How to Stay with You’. It makes for the perfect soothing ending to this collection of songs. Sivan sings about wanting to stay with this boy, but being unsure on how to manage this. He describes this track as a reflection on the past and uncertainty about what the future entails, but ultimately being okay with it. He has sung about many different types of love and lust throughout this album and is still looking ahead to what is next. Sivan is clearly happy and excited for everything yet to come – and so are his millions of listeners.
As a whole, Something to Give Each Other is a perfect mix of upbeat synth-pop tracks about queer joy. While it could have done with a little less sampling, it is overall a very enjoyable album that shows that Sivan is only getting better and better.
Written by: Mandy Huibregtsen
Edited by: Suzanne Teernstra
