Troye Sivan – Happy Little Pill (2014)

This review is one month late, that I know; but as the saying goes ‘better late than never’ and when it comes to Troye Sivan’s ‘Happy Little Pill’ this has never been more true.  I wasn’t sure what to expect when presented with this slightly less than four minutes pop tune as I didn’t know much about the artist or his mode.  The most I knew of Troye Sivan was that he is a South African born YouTuber and looks like one of those prepubescent nerds who are bullied each day at school.  Enter shocked expression when I discovered he is an adolescent and his voice has already broken.  More than that, he actually knows how to write and produce music that exceeds the expectations of an end-of-the-year school talent show.

I could comment on the track’s intro with well placed beats interjected by Troye’s smooth, velvety voice.  I could mention the infusion of electro-bass during the chorus and its befitting swell to enhance the lyrics and emphasise the depth of Sivan’s tone.  I could remark on the slight twinkling keyboard titters that move the tune along swiftly creating a polished, continuous flow; however, I’m not going to as my experience of ‘Happy Little Pill’ was more emotional than technical and it is this that I would rather focus on.

I have always believed that the most influential and memorable songs are those that touch your heart before they reach your head.  For example, ‘Wannabe’ by The Spice Girls is potentially the most dreadful song in existence; however, the girls bring an upbeat approach that overpowers the lack of acceptable lyrics giving it an everlasting ‘jump up and down cos it’s Spice Girls time!’ effect.  Really though, what are they saying in that song?  The fact is ‘Happy Little Pill’ leaves the same impression; however Sivan’s track is more intense than ridiculous.

As I’ve mentioned, Troye Sivan has a velvety smooth tone to his voice with a mature control despite his young years.  Almost immediately he draws you into his bubble, enveloping you in a blanket of both fear and extreme comfort as you embark on a journey of sorts with him leading the way.  Even after listening to the track several times I still felt this need to take a deep breath before the chorus sets in, as if I were about to fall into a deep pool of dark water with little chance of surfacing.  Yet, while swimming in that mass of silver liquid (tripping on the happy little pill) I felt intrigued to discover where I would be led and how the tale would end.

The unique combination of twinkling electronics and Troye’s rich vocals was a powerful indulgent concluding in a series of deep breaths, tingling fingertips, mild moistening of the eyes (I refuse to admit to crying), and a desire for the song to continue.  I’m not a great fan of pop or dance music, but it seems that Troye Sivan’s has doped me with his happy little pill into absolutely loving this song.  I can’t wait for the album.