Pop had a rough year in 2018 when it came to the charts. Widely anticipated releases by Christine and the Queens, Years & Years and Robyn stuttered and disappeared from view after a brief appearance in the Top 10. Meanwhile, soundtracks excelled; The Greatest Showman still hasn’t gone away.
Watching Troye Sivan perform at a sold-out Hammersmith Apollo in London, it seems the issue extends to live shows too. Because pop of this calibre should be in arenas. Sivan is sashaying around the stage like he just stepped off a Gucci catwalk – resplendent in a floral chiffon shirt and drainpipe trousers – as he sings “Lucky Strike”, a track from his 2018 album, Bloom.
The Australian singer’s second record is packed with electronic-pop songs that explore queer love and sexuality from a perspective that feels simultaneously youthful and worldly. “Seventeen” and “Animal” tackle the issue of teenage experiences with older men, while his closing rendition of “My My My!” is a joyful expression of new-found romance.
There seems to be just as many parents bopping along with their offspring as there are waiting patiently outside the venue. Fans unleash deafening shrieks with every sway of Sivan’s hips, and he returns the adoration in kind. “This is one of the best nights of my life,” he tells them, and while a cynic would call it just another line for the tour, tonight you really believe him.
