No Rules

NO RULES

Troye Sivan is a superpower. A YouTuber-cumactor-cum-pop-sensation, Sivan has spent the last three years moving from high to high, never once resting upon his laurels, or halting his astonishing creative growth.

Bloom, his new album, is the triumph of that transformation. It is the work of an astonishingly accomplished singer-songwriter; a powerhouse collection of ballads and pop bangers that feels as personal and autobiographical as anything Sivan has ever released. It’s time we acknowledge the truth: Troye Sivan is the future of pop music.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity

Troye Sivan

Photo by Jules Faure

The BRAG: Blue Neighbourhood came out three years ago and you’ve been through so much since then. I was just wondering; how did you take what you’ve learnt in that time through the writing process of Bloom?

Troye Sivan: That was probably the biggest force in writing this album: everything that I’d learnt since I released the last one. Just my whole life has changed so much. When I wrote the first album, I was really, really still finding my feet. And though I totally still am, I just feel a lot more comfortable and relaxed. I’m just way happier in my personal life and I’ve had all these crazy experiences work-wise.

I’m just way happier in my personal life.”

Also, I think knowing how to make an album really helped, because the first time I had no idea what I was doing. This time, it was about just feeling confident enough to be in the studio and suggest an idea that maybe sounds crazy or maybe is terrible. Like, having the freedom to be able to try stuff and know that’s how people make music. Because when I first started, I assumed everyone had this secret formula or something – these rules that I just didn’t know. It took me a while to learn that everyone is literally just figuring it out. It was way different this time.

The BRAG: I was talking to Amy Shark last week. She was like, ‘Oh, I worked with Jack Antonoff’ and you’ve worked with him in the past as well. She was like, ‘I felt weird to going to him suggestions because he’s Jack Antonoff.’ Did you feel similar working with these producers and collaborators? Did you feel like you bounced off each other’s synergy?

TS: Yeah, completely. Again, it was so refreshing to go in with these people that again, I once would have assumed have it all figured out. And literally all they’re doing is like, ‘The number one rule is if it feels good, do it.’ You know what I mean? Like, there’s no rules basically.

The BRAG: I guess in the three years since Blue Neighbourhood, you’ve been through a lot. Did you feel a lot of expectations on you when writing this album?

TS: I sort of did but honestly, I didn’t really have a lot of nerves or anything. I was mostly just excited because I was ready to get back in the studio. I felt that I had learnt so much and grown so much as a person that my main thing was being excited to try and do better than the first album.

I’m really proud of my first album but at the same time, I know there is so much that I would want to try and do differently and want to change.”

Troye Sivan

Photo by Heidi Sliman

It’s one thing if your first album is a masterpiece that you’re so proud of and everything. I’m really proud of my first album but at the same time, I know there is so much that I would want to try and do differently and want to change. I was really just excited to give it a go.

The BRAG: One of the songs that really stuck out to me was ‘Postcard’. Listening to the lyrics, I felt like it must have been so difficult to sit down and write, knowing people would be dissecting it. Did you feel that difficulty, knowing that once this is out in the world, your stories will be there for people to tear apart and make their own meaning from?

TS: The hardest part is playing it for the people in my life because they’re the ones who are really affected by it. When it comes to everyone else, I’m a fairly open person. Also, music is a space that I feel really comfortable expressing almost anything in. That part doesn’t intimidate me as much as playing it for my parents or playing it for my boyfriend. That’s the scary part.

The BRAG: Bloom is so musically diverse; there are some more guitar driven tracks and piano ballads, but you’ve got the dance elements still going with it. So, where did the inspiration for that come from?

TS: It came from all over the place. My musical inspirations this time around were so just all over the place. Everyone from the Velvet Underground and The Smiths to Sky Ferreira.

The BRAG: Oh my god, I love Sky Ferreira.

TS: Me too.

The BRAG: I want her to release a new album so bad.

TS: I know.

Music is a space that I feel really comfortable expressing almost anything in. That part doesn’t intimidate me as much as playing it for my parents or playing it for my boyfriend.”

It was kind of a bit of a mess of references and [producer Ariel Rechtshaid] actually was the first person I talked to about it. I had this playlist that I talked him through. I was like, ‘I really want to try something like this and I really love this vocal production and I really love this guitar sound.’ He was the first person that was like, ‘Oh, I get it. This is going to be really cool.’ So, that was my thumbs up to keep going and try it.

Then as well, I think almost above everything else, I feel like a songwriter. I have no perspective on the album because it’s mine and I made it, but I hope that it sounds consistent and that it make sense. But if it doesn’t, that’s because I was having fun and just trying stuff as a songwriter first and foremost. You know, not stressing too much about what’s the sound or whatever.

The BRAG: I was wondering – what’s your favourite track and why do you love it?

TS: I’m going to say ‘Animal’, because I think that one really checks off all of the goals that I had when I first started making the album. I wanted to write love songs and ‘Animal’ is a love song.

What: Bloom is out now through EMI Australia