Reporter goes wild for Troye Sivan’s “WILD”

Australian actor, musician and YouTuber Troye Sivan has stepped up his game since his last extended play or EP, “TRXYE.” An EP is a collection of music that is too short to qualify for a full album, but too long to qualify as a single. The strong vocal range and collaborations in his most recent EP, “WILD,” have blown away fans, including America’s favorite pop princess Taylor Swift and most importantly, me.

When I plugged in my auxiliary cord and heard his sweet, beautiful tunes, I imagined him garbed in a satin robe, serenading me with “EASE” while sliding down a winding cedar staircase. His album is pure poetry.

Listeners can hear the progression in Sivan’s writing skills since he wrote “TRXYE” in 2014 (his first time writing music). As Sivan said in an interview with Billboard, this past year involved “writing a lot of really, really terrible songs and writing a couple of really, really good ones.” His much awaited sophomore album, “WILD,” which reached No. 1 on the charts in 41 countries, has six alternative pop songs with foundations of dark, thought-provoking lyricism.

The album’s opening song, “WILD,” shares the same title as his album, and deservedly so. The production magic that took place in this first song is unimaginable. Even Taylor Swift felt the need to call his song “STUNNING AND AWESOME” in a tweet. Yes, Taylor, you are spot on. The juxtaposition of his soft voice with the heavy electric backdrops in this piece creates an undeniable spark in listeners.

Sivan turns down a darker road with “BITE,” a song inspired by his first experience at a gay club. On the surface, many of Sivan’s songs seem shallow and unoriginal, as they possess the mellow pop vibes prevalent  in commercialistic radio music. Upon a closer listening, however, it’s evident that Sivan’s songs boast depth, both in their messages and in their deliveries. In “BITE,” the bass swells with a thick and personal bout of emotion to create a truly exhilarating piece that only enhances Sivan’s album.

Next on the album is “FOOLS,” arguably his second most popular song behind “WILD.” The instrumental of “FOOLS” complements Sivan’s breathy voice perfectly. But Sivan had me at the hook: “I see swimming pools and living rooms and aeroplanes/ I see a little house on the hill and children’s names/ I see quiet nights poured over ice and Tanqueray/ But everything is shattering and it’s my mistake.”

Sivan channels how we all feel when we realize that we’ve fallen for someone toxic. The relatability of his lyrics complements his voice in every song of the album.

Sivan didn’t fail to impress with the next song in the lineup, “EASE.” When I listened to the song for the first time, I had evacuate the premises because it is so fire.

But I couldn’t keep away for long. “EASE,” which is now my personal favorite, is a product of Sivan’s collaboration with Broods, a New Zealand group that was a surprisingly big addition to the budding artist’s album. Before the song was released, Sivan published a picture on Twitter with an excerpt of EASE and Broods’ name underneath, and fans went appropriately insane for the song’s release. His voice pairs with that of Broods’ lead singer Georgia Nott like milk and cookies, but the song’s aggressively catchy pop background keeps me from drifting off.

Like whipped cream on top of an already “grande” sundae, Sivan’s DKLA (Don’t Keep Love Around), featuring Australian artist Tkay Maidza, had me smiling like a big dope. The song starts slow, but draws the listener into something heavier and darker. The line "‘Distance makes the heart grow fonder’ /Said by someone stronger than me," still gives me shivers. Sivan concludes the album in the only way he can: ideally.

It’s obvious that Troye Sivan is a potential goldmine of artistic and production genius. “WILD” is startlingly autobiographical, allowing Sivan’s listeners to connect with him on a more personal level. But this impressive mini-album is only the start to something greater, so the music industry really should keep its ears open.

And to the critics that “Don’t Keep Love Around” for Sivan, these FOOLS who have yet to EASE into THE QUIET lull of this artistically divine gem, I will definitely go WILD when you all BITE the dust. I can only pray your ears start functioning again.