Original publication: 20-09-2020
Australian pop artist and queer icon Troye Sivan released his new EP at the end of August 2020. After the release of his critically acclaimed second album Bloom in summer of 2018, which cemented him as a true pop hero, he delves deeper into the world of indie pop with IN A DREAM. Produced during the COVID-19 lockdown, the emotions he has on display here feel even more warped and melancholic—yet it still makes us want to dance, which is exactly the point.
Short but shockingly fresh, this sultry body of work details Troye’s emotional rollercoaster during a turbulent period in his life. Centering on a break-up rumored to be with his ex of four years–heavily featured on Bloom–Troye retreated back home to Australia and began writing music again about coping with heartbreak and self-doubt while the world around him seems to crumble. Every song recounts a distinct thought or moment, forming a mesmerizing short story of their own. This is a definitive ranking of the six-track EP:
6. could cry just thinkin’ about you
Every line I write is something about you
Every guy I want looks something just like you
I don’t know who I am, with or without you
But I guess I’m ’bout to find out
This 52-second interlude in the middle of the EP would have been much higher on this list if it were longer! could cry just thinkin’ about you is such a hazy, soulful heartthrob layered with guitar-heavy strums and Troye’s soothing, echoey vocals that it makes you want to shed a quick tear. You almost forget that this EP is a break-up record until you stumble upon this emotional warped indie-ballad. We can’t imagine how amazing this would be if he were to transform it into a full-length song. (Update: he did!)
5. Take Yourself Home
I’m tired of the city, scream if you’re with me
If I’m gonna die, let’s die somewhere pretty
Sad in the summer, city needs a mother
Take Yourself Home as the lead single was moved up for release back in April 2020 and very appropriately so. We were introduced to a whole new side of Troye musically, featuring heavy electronic dance coda, but also emotionally, with a darker lyrical atmosphere than his previous discography. This EP-opening track was actually written before quarantine and is about “a pep talk with yourself and the place you’re from—grappling with your place in the world.’’ But Troye has also stated that “as life and places change and relationships change, songs can take on a new meaning entirely.’’
4. STUD
Hey stud, you can come and meet me out front
You got all the muscles and the features I want
The term ‘stud’ generally refers to attractive and sexually active men, and this song explores what happens when the gay community becomes hyper-sexualized. Troye sings about craving validation from men with idealized muscular bodies. However, there’s ambiguity in the lyrics as to whether he wants to be with a stud, or be one himself, as the track switches up from the ballad-like verses to the house-anthem (pre-)choruses with beats bursting galore. Troye’s autotuned and distorted vocals lend further ammunition to the bold and flirtatious narrative of queer sexual desire tainted with body insecurities.
3. Easy
You ran away to find something to say
I went astray to make it okay
And he made it easy, darlin’
The most 80s sounding track on In A Dream is also the most crying-on-the-dancefloor anthem, with spacious synths, clever uses of autotune, and heartbreaking lyrics. Easy was released as the second single to universal acclaim by critics praising his distinctiveness from more conventional pop stars. Here, Troye is allegedly apologizing for cheating as he confesses a desire to reconcile a crumbling relationship. ‘’He made it easy,’’ he sings—finding solace in someone else’s arms while still in a relationship. The rawness feels so honest and vulnerable that it’s hard to picture someone like Troye as the villain. The remix with Kacey Musgraves amplifies the song’s intensity even more, weaving in lush 80s synths courtesy of producer Mark Ronson, making it feel timeless, nostalgic, and achingly wistful.
2. IN A DREAM
Put my shoes on and run away
But you still show up in a dream
Only making this harder
‘Cause I still have to see your, see your face
The EP’s titular track is also its closer, describing Troye’s discrete but gut-wrenching break-up. The all-caps title mirrors exactly how it feels when you can’t escape your ex even in dreams: it’s abrupt and loud, screaming in your face and echoing long after you wake up. This dreamy indie-pop song with tinges of rock mixed throughout is irresistible to dance to, driven by its non-stop drumbeats and melodramatic, theatre-kid lyrics.
IN A DREAM perfectly encapsulates the whole EP perfectly: its search for freedom in the face of adversity and emotional turmoil. But here the story is still unfolding—the emotions are fresh and sometimes even impulsive: ‘’Can you come back? Wait, I don’t mean that.’’ We don’t know the endgame, but we’re all here for the ride with Troye regardless.
1. Rager teenager!
Hey, my lil’ rager teenager, tryna figure it out
Living a season of screaming, and turning it out
Hey, my little rager teenager, I’ve missed you around
If could cry just thinking about you is a snack, then Rager teenager! is the whole damn meal. These two tracks feel like companions—the kind you’d play waking up alone on a Sunday morning, longing for something gratifying to happen. The lyrics Troye soothingly echoes are very reminiscent of his older work, but there’s a clear new maturity here. With his vocals beautifully layered into shimmering synths and beat-heavy breakdowns, it feels like a slow burn that drips with rich nostalgia. The production alone is already dazzling, but it’s the emotional core of the lyrics that makes it linger.