Troye Sivan
At just 25 years old, South-African born singer Troye Sivan has already achieved world fame. From TRXYE to Bloom, his musical career has been a celebration and exploration of queer experiences.
Blue Neighbourhood, Sivan’s 2015 debut album and accompanying video trilogy, portrays the highs and lows of a secret same-sex relationship. Pop tunes ‘Wild’ and ‘Youth’ are juxtaposed with tracks like ‘Talk Me Down’ and ‘Blue’, exploring the feelings of angst and agony that are particularly familiar for queer teens.
Three years later, his sophomore album Bloom quite literally burst onto the pop scene. Its lead single ‘My My My!’ has been described as ‘throbbing’ and ‘steamy’; delving deeper into sexuality than his previous music. Sivan didn’t stop there – ‘Bloom’, the music video to which was released during pride month of 2018, was a further opportunity to exude confidence in his sexuality both lyrically and visually. The subsequent six-leg World Tour became an unapologetic exploration of Troye Sivan’s character, whilst simultaneously raising funds for Australasian LGBTQ+ charities.
Ever since publically coming out as gay in 2013, Sivan has never shied away from expressing his sexuality and is a proud advocate for the community. His music consistently reinforces the importance of LGBTQ+ acceptance, with lyrics such as “If I’m losing a piece of me / Maybe I don’t want heaven” (from ‘Heaven’ with Betty Who). Furthermore, he contributed his vocals to the soundtrack of the 2019 film Boy Erased, which outlines the tragic process of gay conversion therapy, and he continues to be an advocate for same-sex marriage.
With over a billion Youtube views and named as one of Time’s ‘25 Most Inspirational Teens of 2014’, Troye Sivan has rapidly established himself as the perfect role model for LGBTQ+ Teens.
Words by Ellie Whitehall