Troye Sivan’s Got me Started: Pop Ballads About Love, Life and Your True Self

I have to be honest, I have not heard any of Troye Sivan’s music until I saw his new record Something to Give Each Other blowing up on every best new releases and best of 2023 list out there. I mean, Pitchfork gave the record a 8.0, which is top 10 record of the year territory for their rating system. So, I had to check his music out…and thank God I did.

First off, to say that Got me Started is soaked in club excess and sexuality is an understatement. It’s like saying “You know that Prince guy? Yeah. I get the feeling he likes sex.” From the lush synth background, to wailing synth screeches, to club / trap electro beats and full on super pitched looping vocals, this track is swimming in cocaine and ecstasy. Having said that, most of the club flourishes are saved for the chorus and verses are a little more restrained and warm. This keeps the song from descending into a video game arcade level of cacophonous electro noise. Even though this song was probably completely arranged on an Apple MacBook Air, it doesn’t have that feel. The track’s warmth saves it from feeling like it was made in a lab.

The layer Troye brings to all of his love ballads is that he is an openly gay artist, which means that these seductive tracks are directed at other men. Much like Lil Nas X or Frank Ocean, Troye’s love songs have two meanings. One is the unbridled senuality and sexuality, which is off the chart. However, the other is that he is embracing his truth and putting it out there for everyone else to know and celebrate. This gives the track an added power and honesty that is lacking in cookie cutter pop tracks from mainly straight artists. Much like feminist work, Troye’s personal is also political and love songs this expertly performed gives voice to millions of gay men and boys who may feel marginalised by society and conservative laws.

Then there is his vocal…and man…what a vocal it is. He has incredible range and depth. Now, post production can play some tricks on range that are hard to pick, but his vocal depth is undeniable. As soon as he kicks into his first verse you are just transported to this higher plane of existence. I’m sure that Got me Started is going to make a lot of 2023 top 10 lists, including mine, and is in high rotation in the club. However, this track is so much more than a club it. This track is a testament to love and being your true self.

Listen to Got me Started