After transitioning his eight year-long YouTube channel into a music career, Troye Sivan broke out with his first album Blue Neighborhood in December of 2015. Fans supported his happy yet gloomy music, while also expecting a new album in 2016. However, Sivan took a three year musical hiatus, until this year, when he hinted at a new album through his collection of single releases like “My My My!,” “Bloom,” and “Animal” in January, May, and August. The LGBTQ Aussie popstar then released his anticipated album Bloom  Friday, August 31, hitting number five on iTunes charts in just three days.

The album, consisting of ten songs, revolves around love and doom—a contradiction that creates a masterpiece. “Seventeen,” a fan-favorite, starts as the first song, using strong vocals and bouncy, upbeat rhythms to talk about the gifts of love at 17 years old. In contrast to his first album, where Sivan sang about the downfalls of feeling “young and in love,” all of Bloom’s empowering lyrics sum up the beauty of life and love.

“I feel like Blue Neighborhood said ‘I’m in a relationship where I love someone who doesn’t love me,’ and Bloom says ‘I’m in a better relationship, but sometimes I think about the person I left behind in my past,’ I think this growth is so amazing but also saddening for Troye,” senior Anna Vickery said.

As an openly gay person, Sivan used his first album to emphasize the struggles of a relationship where the truth about sexuality and feelings for the other clash. Fans stressed the staggering difference between the two albums, as Bloom instead highlighted a nostalgic feel about a past relationship while entering a better one. Songs like “The Good Side,” “Postcard,” and “Lucky Strike” reminisce on the past while still looking forward into the future using slow vocals, but keeping the rhythm upbeat enough to contrast the heartbreaking lyrics.

Although a majority of “Troyeblemakers” (Sivan’s fanbase name) love the entirety of Bloom, others disregarded the most popular singles, like “Dance To This” featuring Ariana Grande, which brought disappointed faces and unsure feelings.

“I love that he’s working with big stars, but ‘Dance To This’ just really didn’t match with Troye and his persona. The beats were not at all something you would want to dance to, ironically. Based off of Blue Neighborhood, which has bops left and right, the song just isn’t that great,” Vickery said.

Despite a bit of backlash for not producing music in the past three years, fans felt the glorious album made up for the wait. As Bloom approaches number one on the iTunes chart, Sivan blossoms into a new chapter of his life.

The Chant’s Grade: A-