Youth. Strawberries & Cigarettes. Angel Baby. With hits like these, can you expect anything less than a banger of an album from the icon that is Troye Sivan? He returns with his third studio album, Something To Give Each Other, which is an addictive concoction of lust, pain and ecstasy, packed to the brim with party anthems that will have you hitting the dance floor all night. Each song has its own story and its own magic. A review of this intimate journey through the depths of human connection is an absolute must. And review it, we shall.
My dearest readers, welcome to another tell-all album review. We last filled our guts with Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS album review, and we now continue this gift-giving with Troye Sivan’s Something To Give Each Other. This album is a celebration of sex, dance, sweat, queerness, love and friendship expressed in beautiful musicality.
Troye filled the air with anticipation for this journey he has unleashed upon us with two pre-release tracks – Rush, which has already amassed over 215 million combined global streams to date, and Got Me Started, which surpassed Rush as the biggest streamed song of the week and has now attained over 30 million combined streams.
With pre-release tracks tearing up the charts and stream numbers, it set the stage for the grand comeback of Troye Sivan. And today, we will tear up the album, track by track – from how we feel about each song to the perfect mood to listen to it in. (Spoiler alert: we love the album.)
As always, enjoy!
Rush
Just hearing this song makes me feel like I’m in the four walls of a club – hearing the song booming from the speakers, with the oh-so-familiar whiff of alcohol and sweat wafting through the air. This song isn’t just played at a party; it is the party. This song invites you onto the dance floor and keeps you there for the entirety of its 2-minute-and-36-second duration. This song is fantasy, ecstasy, and adrenaline. It’s about the rush.
And the music video delivers that rush phenomenally – the lustful eyes, the sweat, the heavy breathing. We know exactly what you’re getting at, Troye!
Troye beautifully contrasts the highs and lows of his vocals to deliver that euphoria that this song rides on, combined with the distortion in the chorus that really makes you feel like you’re in the middle of that dance floor, and you’re dancing like no one’s watching. It took me a while to warm up to the song because of how different it is from the usual Troye Sivan sound. But now? You can’t get me to stop even if I wanted to.
When to listen: When you want to dance it out! When you want to feel like you’re in a club! Bonus: Put your LED fairy lights on flash mode for that added effect.
What’s The Time Where You Are?
If I got this text from a hunky European man, I think I’d blush to no end. So Troye, I get exactly what you mean. A simple question like this can connect two souls together across borders. A question you can easily look up on the Internet, but you decide to ask it to the person you’re speaking to halfway across the world – how romantic.
Troye’s honey-like voice takes the limelight here as he tells this beautiful tale. It’s as if his voice was made for songs like this one. And the little sprinkle of Spanish words? It adds that pizzazz to the song that really gives it that international feel. It’s a simple song, nothing extraordinary or addictive. But it’s a great song to vibe to. And that’s enough!
When to listen: When you need a fun little pick-me-up! The song makes you bob your head and gets your body swaying, so it’s a great song to get you out of that melancholy mood.
One Of Your Girls
Easily one of my favourites on this album! The lyrics are iconic. The music video is legendary. And Troye’s seductive voice stole my heart. I catch myself singing, “Face card, no cash, no credit”. Truer words have never been sung.
Now, the music video. When it was released, we were hit with surprise after surprise. First, Ross Lynch starring in the music video? I grew up with him going from a Disney prince to a hunk of a man, and now featuring alongside Troye? My two worlds have come colliding together. And then, we see Troye Sivan in drag, looking absolutely stunning at that! This video is giving pop princess, early 2000s’ Britney Spears and delivers a blast from the past with the modern twist that only Troye could give.
Perfection, I tell ya.
What to listen: Listening to this song will make you feel so hot and gorgeous, so listen to this while you’re getting ready or on your way out for a fun night, and you will feel infinite times hotter!
In My Room
In this track, Troye collaborates with Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente. In this song, they sing about the kicking-your-feet, shy, gooey, giggly kind of glee you get when you have a crush on someone – when you do some innocent stalking, thinking about how to slide into their DMs and start a conversation, or when you’re in bed romanticising that brief eye contact you made with them. Ah, the magic of having a crush.
I don’t know if it’s the enchantment of the Spanish language or Troye’s and Guitarricadelafuente’s smooth, sweet vocals, but this song felt like a warm embrace; as if comforting me every time I doubt my little crush. Not the most outstanding song in the album, but one definitely for the heart.
When to listen: Something about the beat makes it perfect for when you’re walking and want to feel like a runway model. Whether you’re on a treadmill or speed-strutting to the bus stop to catch your bus, listen to this song, and the beat will resound with every step you take.
Still Got It
Another one of my favourite tracks on the album. I’ve got one word for you: eargasmic. Excuse my language, but Troye nailed this one with his stunning vocal showcase. His voice carries the melancholy and gloom you feel when you run into your ex and realise you “still got it bad”. His harmonies echo the cries you unleash when you scream in agony, realising the person you loved is nothing more than a stranger now.
The lyrics are so excruciatingly beautiful too – “said hello like an old colleague”. The punch in the gut this lyric delivers is insane. It so heart-wrenchingly paints you the picture, one many of us might know all too well. The lyrics encapsulate the painful chapter that comes after a break-up. The song then ends with a 40-second outro, which I think is what a mental breakdown would sound like in song. It’s psychotic, painful, messy, loud, and everything in between.
When to listen: As harsh as this sounds, during a mental breakdown. Troye’s heavenly vocals in this song are a warm hug, sounding perfect for a midnight (or mid-day) meltdown. Cry it out to those crushing lyrics and heal with the harmonies.
Can’t Go Back, Baby
The pain and betrayal packed into this song is hard to hear. But lucky for us, Troye makes up for it with vocals blessed straight by the gods of music and singing. This song samples Jessica Pratt’s ‘Back Baby’. Here’s what she said: “‘Back, Baby’ was recorded to a cassette tape in a tiny bedroom 10 years ago, so it was really unexpected to get a request from him. Like everybody else, I find Troye to be irresistible.” You and me both, sister.
It’s alluring how both tracks elevate each other, and in Troye’s song, tells the incredulous story of cheating with a tinge of “I’m over it”, a dollop of “you broke me” and a dash of “I hate you”. Troye admitted how difficult writing and recording this song was. We appreciate your work, sir.
When to listen: This is definitely a rainy-day tune. With the gentle “bsshhhh” of the rain, Troye’s melodic singing, and Jessica’s timeless voice, this song can’t go wrong.
Got Me Started
If you think you’re feeling another wave of the Mandela Effect wash over you with the opening of this song, don’t worry; you’re not exactly wrong. The song opens to a very familiar tune, which is originally from “Shooting Stars“ by the Bag Raiders. Troye sampled this iconic track for this one and created a party anthem that has changed the trajectory of party anthems!
The song’s lyrics illustrate the spark you feel when you meet someone who just ignites something in you. The chorus is sped up at 50% to give it the added euphoric feel, which makes this song nothing less than an essential at every party and club. And the music video? It’s sensual, funky and a rare showcase of Troye’s mad dancing skills!
When to listen: When you’re ready to turn the party up! (In your bedroom, of course.)
Silly
Troye may as well have named this song ‘Sexy’ because that’s exactly what his voice is doing in this track. The falsettos and the vocal processing make the song sound unreal, which adds to the storytelling and the sexy vibe that Troye was actually aiming for in this song. He wanted something “icy and cool”. Sir? That was hot and fiery. But it sure did come with that touch of iciness he hoped to deliver.
I have to admit, this is probably pretty low on my favourites list for the album. It’s a hot and cool song, but it lacks substance. I didn’t hear a climax, nor did it feel like a continuous party. It also sounds like I heard some variation of this in some of the other previous tracks. But I will not deny that I might have to create an infinite loop of this line: “Gotta rewire my desire, gettin’ me higher”. His voice did a little something for my ears there that has me hooked. But unfortunately, that’s all he had going for me.
I love you Troye, but thank you, next.
When to listen: Well, I’d leave this to play in the background while I’m working, ‘cuz it does give me good vibes and energy, but it doesn’t make me want to abandon my work to get up from my seat and dance it out.
Honey
Am I hearing this right? Do we all hear it too? Is this song an ode to the classic Troye sound we fell in love with in his debut album, Blue Neighbourhood? From the beat and instrumental to the chorus and vocal runs, this song feels like a sweet marriage of the old Troye sound and this fresh and bold new sound that this album brings us! It’s a shame it was left at the bottom of the tracklist, but I love it!
Incorporating the Serenity Prayer that Troye learned from his father when he was younger, he sings about how strong the feelings the protagonist is carrying for that special someone that they need to utter a prayer to say how they really feel. It’s so warm and innocent (well, maybe not after hearing the second line of the chorus!). I love this one. What a majestic fusion of the two sides of Troye Sivan!
When to listen: If you’re not listening to this in the car with your friends, singing the pre-chorus, hearts thumping with anticipation for the beat drop in the chorus, belting every note like you’re at Madison Square Garden, you’re not listening to it right!
How To Stay With You
It’s another track that sounds wonderfully reminiscent of the classic Troye sound I love so very much. But the star of this song? That saxophone! With its melodic interjections throughout the song, it gets its spotlight on the bridge and ends the song on a heavenly note. There couldn’t have been a more perfect end to the album.
The story behind the final lines we hear in the song, and therefore, the album, has me emotional. We’ve seen through Troye’s journey in this album, but he ends off with:
Startin’ again when I got all I wanted
Startin’ to feel a little bit despondent.
These lines sound melancholic but symbolise that Troye hasn’t found the love he’s looking for just yet, but that does not negate his past experiences and memories. He’s documenting what he’s seen and heard and continuing this journey through life, just like we all are. Magnificent.
Ending Thoughts
The transition of sound from the first to the final song is astounding, but it speaks so highly of Troye’s exploration and this new chapter of his artistry. He’s released head-bobbing and timeless hits (like those mentioned in the very first line of this article), but he challenges himself and takes his stories a step further. His passion is evidently burning through the speakers and reaching us all over the world.
With twenty-two billion streams and 10 million albums sold worldwide, attaining standout roles in Hollywood features, high fashion collabs, runway appearances and a combined social audience of over 30 million, all by the age of 28, Troye has proven to us all what he’s made of.
But he takes our breath away with this smashing record.
Indeed, he’s given us something with this album. And we can’t wait for more. Troye, you are a legend in the making. The world sees you and loves you. Here’s to more stories, more music and a continued celebration of life and its (crazy) experiences. Together.
Troye Sivan – Something To Give Each Other
Check out Troye Sivan’s third studio album, Something To Give Each Other, on all streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music!
Keep up to date with Troye Sivan on his socials on Instagram, X, and TikTok.
Visuals courtesy of Stuart Winecoff.
