While Troye Sivan was once known primarily for being one of YouTube’s most recognizable personalities, he is now known as one of pop’s most notable young stars. After releasing his sophomore album Bloom in late August, the pop sensation embarked on the North American leg of the “Bloom Tour”, which graced Portland’s Roseland Theater on Monday night. This marked Sivan’s first show in Portland since the “Blue Neighborhood Tour” came to the Roseland Theater back in February of 2016. Many of Monday night’s concert goers were at his 2016 show as well, and clearly couldn’t wait to be reunited with the pop prodigy.
Before the main event however, openers Carlie Hanson and Kim Petras got the crowd going with their undeniably infectious pop tunes. While both artists had shorter sets than Sivan, their sheer talent and starpower made it feel as though each artist was a headliner in their own right. After both openers had completed their sets, the lights dimmed, the crowd screamed, and a dimly lit Sivan appeared in the balcony to the right of the stage. While there was a bit of confusion at first, the crowd quickly realized where Sivan was, and began belting the words to “Seventeen”, the opening track to his most recent album. Before the final chorus of the song, Sivan ran from the balcony down to the stage, causing an eruption of cheering from his legions of fans that were now only feet away.
Singing tracks from both Bloom and Blue Neighborhood, Sivan did a remarkable job of showing his growth as not only an artist, but as a performer as well. The confidence he exudes on stage is something expected of an artist with far more than two full length albums, but that’s exactly what sets him apart from many of his contemporaries. He also took many opportunities to talk with the audience about the writing process behind certain songs, as well as why they are personal to him. Standout track “Heaven” was introduced by a heartbreaking story about some of the issues Sivan had with his sexuality while growing up, while “The Good Side” was proceeded by a tale of an uneven breakup.
While the show definitely had it’s somber moments, more often than not it was a full on party. Tracks like “Plum”, “Wild”, “Youth”, and “My My My!” had the crowd jumping and flailing wildly, all while Sivan strutted and posed around every inch of the stage. His ability to curate a show that had over a thousand people dancing maniacally one second, while holding back tears the next, is a testament to his unrivaled artistry and passion. While people are often times quick to label someone “the future of pop”, we’d argue there’s no one more deserving of the title than Troye Sivan.
Kim Petras and Carlie Hanson
By: Blake Charles | Exclusively for @Music,Why Not!
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