“I remember “Youth” being the first song I ever heard from Troye Sivan. At the time, I honestly didn’t love the song itself, but there was something about Troye’s voice that immediately caught my attention. It had this softness and vulnerability that made me curious enough to actually dig deeper into his music. And when Blue Neighbourhood came out, that curiosity turned into me becoming a genuine Troye fan that year.
Listening to this album now, I think what pulled me in was how personal it felt without trying too hard to be dramatic. Songs like “Talk Me Down,” “Fools,” “Ease,” and “Heaven” have this emotional honesty that makes the album feel like you’re listening to someone figure themselves out in real time. There’s a sense of youth, heartbreak, identity, loneliness, and wanting to be loved that I think a lot of people can recognize.
And ironically, “Youth” eventually grew on me. 😂 I still remember not understanding the hype when I first heard it, but after getting into the rest of the album, I started hearing it differently. Troye’s voice was the thing that kept bringing me back, though. There’s something very intimate about the way he sings. He doesn’t need to overpower a song for you to feel what he’s saying.
Blue Neighbourhood also feels very much like a time capsule of the mid-2010s, in the best possible way. The production, the synth-pop elements, the melancholic atmosphere captures all that era while still feeling distinctly Troye. It’s not an album I would call flawless, but it’s an album that feels genuine, and that matters more to me.
What started with me thinking, “I don’t really like this song, but I really like his voice,” eventually became me discovering an artist whose music I genuinely wanted to follow. Blue Neighbourhood will always have that special place in my music history because it was the album that made me curious enough to become a fan.”
