Up until a few years ago, the idea of an LGBT musician singing about his or her experiences in our society didn’t really seem like an idea that would catch on. Of course, we have Sam Smith’s music, as well as Tove Lo in recent years (among others), but what some are calling the LGBT Music genre is still fairly new. Because of this, I want to shine a spotlight on an album (and an artist) you may not be all that familiar with.

The name Troye Sivan is probably familiar to those who watched his YouTube channel, as he was a popular content creator for a few years before transitioning into his music career. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Wait, you’re trying to encourage me to listen to music by a YouTube creator? What?” Trust me when I say I didn’t expect this turn of events either.

Let’s flashback about four years to December 2015. When Blue Neighbourhood (Troye’s first album) was announced months prior, I was intrigued. It wasn’t all that common for music to be made by someone in the LGBT community after all. After listening to a few of the singles and watching the powerful music videos, I was even more excited.

When it released in its’ full capacity, I couldn’t believe how solid, cohesive, and impressive it was. This young guy, only 20 years old at the time, had created in musical form a cathartic, beautiful record. It doesn’t encapsulate *every* experience of course, because how could it? The experiences of trans folks, black homosexuals, black trans folks, and so many other shades of the LGBT spectrum, are far too diverse and broad to encapsulate in a single record.

He did, however, manage to capture what I believe to be snapshots of the human condition as someone who is a part of the LGBT community. For example the sixth song on the album “Heaven” details the internal struggle of an LGBT person at war with religion; not in an Anti-Religion sense, but in a sense of being told that homosexuality is a sin, while wondering how you can still love someone, and be your truest self, without being directly at odds with that.

Songs like “Fools” and “Wild” express the feelings of new relationships, of not knowing how to handle them, and having to come to terms with your mistakes. In the case of “Fools” specifically, it covers a relationship you know will never work out, but the fantasy of settling down with this person you’ve grown to love so much still remains.

In a way, songs like that are universal, not just for us on the LGBT spectrum, but in all people who have loved someone they probably shouldn’t have. Blue Neighbourhood is an album about finding yourself, and experiencing all those things you feel when you’re young, possibly a little bit stupid, and most definitely naïve.

Troye also uses the idea of colors in interesting ways. The concept of the Blue Neighbourhood as a whole is of this idyllic, pure, quiet place. It’s a place where nothing ever happens, a sleepy small town somewhere. He references it a few times throughout the album, but the color blue itself, and the color red get used in other ways.

For example, in the song “Blue” (featuring Alex Hope) the chorus itself uses color to express a willingness to do whatever it takes to keep ahold of someone that is distancing themselves from you. “I want you, I’ll color me blue, anything it takes to make you stay…” expresses how intensely he wants this to work, while later on the line, “I know you see in black and white, so I’ll paint you a clear blue sky/without you I am colorblind, it’s raining, every time I open my eyes,” expresses that he wants to show this person, who is clearly feeling sadness and a desire to separate, that there is still a beautiful blue sky. He wants them to share these colors because the idea of losing that person causes the color to drain from his world.

The deluxe version of the album, which can be found on most streaming services and isn’t that much more expensive than the regular version, is what I would consider the completed version of Blue Neighbourhood. It captures everything from youthful naiveté, to the excitement and danger of pursuing a man for the first time.

It also captures a blend of musical styles, from more upbeat pop tracks to dreamy, relaxing melodies behind stripped-down vocals. Somehow he manages to bring all sorts of different sounds and ideas together without it all sounding chaotic or obnoxious. It is an empowering album, not just for people in the LGBT community, but for those who have experienced the uncertainty of youth and the idea of figuring yourself out through mistakes, both in relationships and in life.

I’m not as practiced at covering music as my other fellow writers on this site, such as Taylor who covered his picks for the 40 albums that defined the 2010’s. However, I think this might be a good example of an album that is either one he missed or an honorable mention that no one should ignore. I can also say that if you find yourself enjoying this album; Troye Sivan’s second album Bloom is as good, if not even better. It has a different sort of theme that sets it apart from his freshman work, but it is no less impactful.

Troye Sivan is a star on the rise, and I hope we see more important, impactful music by him in the years to come. Blue Neighbourhood is an underrated album, and if you take the time to sit down with it, there will likely be something in it that will resonate with you.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.