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Troye Sivan: Bloom

The second release from Sivan, Bloom follows his 2016 debut Blue Neighbourhood.

Bloom is a saccharine and soulful modern pop album that explores the familiar trope of love but from Sivan’s big-hearted perspective.

The mostly uptempo album briefly slows for the acoustic The Good Side, which sounds sweetly at home with the oughties’ indie folk output.

Australian singer-songwriter Gordi joins Sivan on the album’s beautiful and pensive centerpiece Postcard; a piano-driven ode troubled love.

To shake off the blues, Ariana Grande guests on the low-key but upbeat Dance To This.

The latter half of the album continues exploring Sivan’s foibles and victories with love. Ultimately, he comes off as a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, as well as a hopeless romantic. Bloom is a solid pop album that doesn’t suffer under the weight of mundane lyrics or overproduction. Highly recommended.

Laganja Estranja feat. J. Tyler: Look At Me

Laganja’s back in the house y’all, okurrrrr?! In her first release since 2016’s Tease 4u, Laganja raps over a slick beat that seems retro and modern all at once. The chorus is deceptively catchy – halfway in, I was hooked.

At first, it seems like a typical “props to me” track – a familiar trope in hip-hop. However, by the time the three and a half minutes ended, I was not only a fan of the song but perhaps more so of Laganja herself.

An extremely fortunate thing here is that the over-the-top obnoxiousness she is known for (from her stint on RuPaul’s Drag Race) is absent. The lyrics are catchy and serve to celebrate herself and her brand.

The song features a verse by J. Tyler, a fixture in Atlanta’s queer rap scene. He also appears in the accompanying music video.

Ariana Grande: Sweetener

Ariana Grande’s voice has always been the star of her albums, and Sweetener is no different.

Pharrell Williams guests on album opener blazed, with his trademark staccato beats and smooth vocals, and it’s a good note on which to start.

No sooner has Pharrell exited than Nicki Minaj enters on the third single the light is coming. The track is infectious, and a little weird. But those things can make for great pop records.

Missy Elliott closes out the trio of heavy-hitting cameos on borderline, providing a safe rap toward the song’s close. Grande also covers Imogen Heap’s goodnight n go, but even this lush version pales to the original.

The production is indeed sweet, and there are many nods to 90s R&B, which is on trend but also makes for good slow-burners like every time. The album as a whole vacillates between predictable and fresh, blurring current pop trends with our innate nostalgia. A solid, if not great, record.

MNEK: Language

South Londoner Uzoechi Osisioma "Uzo" Emenike, professionally known as MNEK (pronounced emin-e-kay), has just released a collection that serves camp and ego in equal measure.

Opener Correct is an infection mix of afro-infused beats and slang (“you better come correct”), and Tongue slinks along sexily over a punchy beat.

The simplistic Phone could have been left on the cutting room floor. Feel free to skip this one.

Colour, featuring Hailee Steinfeld, feels tailor-made for easy chart access. For all its sunshine, it lacks soul.

There is promise in the songs here, but they fail to deliver as often as they succeed. The album suffers from mostly lackadaisical production and lyrics that never delve below the surface. There are attempts at deep expression, but they’re trite lines we’ve all heard before.

Exceptions are the standout tracks, Crazy World and Free, which come late in the game.

Copyright The Gayly. @ 1:46 p.m. CST.