Troye Sivan’s new album Bloom, released Aug. 31, deserves critical praise due to his uncanny talent of communicating so many different messages through his diverse choice of songs while keeping his signature sound alive and stronger than ever. Not to mention, the artist of four albums and winner of the GLAAD Outstanding Music Artist is only 23 years old and started his career at age 12, singing at the Channel 7 Perth Telethon. Sivan also uploaded singing videos to youtube before becoming and industry professional. All of these impressive factors including the top-tier album have convinced me that Troye Sivan is on his way to the top.

Sivan’s choice of such a sultry album means many of the songs are slow-paced and low energy. However, he manages to pack an amazing amount of feeling and meaning into not only his lyrics, but his gentle, powerful melodies as well. Chill, techno-type beats with faded lyrics arrange a pleasant headphone experience. Although some songs may seem too slow to energize, Sivan’s lyrics evoke strong feelings that push his audience to belt out the tunes, as I found myself doing upon the third listen of this album.

This is the type of music I would play if I worked in an ice cream shop, because it’s perfect for people of all ages and cultures. Dance To This featuring Ariana Grande is a song I expect to hear too many times on the radio, a pop hit with suggestive lyrics and perfect for the angsty teen crowd. Songs like Lucky Strike or Plum are perfect candidates for listening to while running or driving, happy songs that provide no choice but to sing along. On the other hand, What a Heavenly Way to Die is a piece of art I would love to blast through my headphones in times of sad or desperate feelings. It is a stirring, passionate song about spending forever with a significant other through long nights and laying by the poolside. Sounds like a heavenly way to die indeed, a cliche ending to a powerful album.

Bloom is a creative work of art with a logical, insightful array of songs that compliment each other while pleasantly contrasting in terms of melody. This is a refreshing change from Sivan’s last album, Blue Neighborhood, which had a similar emotional sound, but many of the songs were indistinguishable between the next.

For lovers of faded, electronic pop, I could not recommend the new album more. Sivan checks all the boxes when he opens up his heart on Bloom. He possesses a skill to convey not only emotions but also stories through his songs that give listeners strength and faith in themselves and in music. Sivan’s tantalizing new album, charting at #1 on iTunes, can be found on Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, and a number of other services.