The Bulletin

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Track Review: Troye Sivan, "Take Yourself Home"

Troye Sivan's last album, 2018's Bloom, was a beautiful collection of soft electropop tracks that told a beautiful coming-of-age story. Bloom shared Troye's personal experiences with the world by way of a consistent sensual and moody soundscape. On his new single, "Take Yourself Home," Troye has created a behemoth of a track that undergoes a seemingly endless metamorphosis from a melancholic ballad to dance-pop and then to PC music-influenced malaise.

Troye's songwriting has improved immensely since his debut album. Blue Neighborhood was filled with Tumblr euphemisms and Bloom offered a more mature slate of lyricism; "Take Yourself Home" builds on that growth with lyrics like "there's nothing that can't be fixed with some honesty/And how it got this dark is just beyond to me." Beyond the songwriting, the production on the track is the real star of the show. The way the track morphs through different stages of pop is quite masterful. As Troye adds more backing vocals and harmonies to support the luscious lead vocal performance, the song evolves from gentle guitar chords to a Charli XCX-esque PC/dance breakdown. The song functions as an unintentional quarantine anthem; it ultimately builds into this sweaty release of all the anxiety and impatience that comes from being locked in a situation you put yourself in. Troye, once again, has proven himself to be one of the most consistent pop artists of his generation.

Score: 80