By Meliza Sestito
The most rewarding part of a concert is, perhaps, feeling like you belong in a room full of strangers. It’s a positive and uplifting experience, and that’s the precise energy that swept around the Manchester Apollo on Sunday night.
Having begun his musical career on YouTube, Troye Sivan has taken the UK music scene by storm. Since collaborating with well-loved artists such as Ariana Grande, Alessia Cara and Charli XCX, Sivanhas built a well-deserved reputation for producing hit after hit.
Sivan’s stardom definitely hasn’t gone to his head, as he appeared on stage with meticulous promptness – 2 minutes early, in fact. The lights went down, and the entire room erupted in screams as Sivan launched into the first verse of ‘Seventeen’, the curtain dropping as it he reached the chorus, revealing his band behind him.
Sivan took a break from his energy-fuelled performance to address the crowd: “ So stoked to be here! We’ve been spending a lot of time here in Manchester rehearsing for this tour and you’re all so lovely.” He also described this city as “fantastically queer”, drawing a substantial cheer from the sold-out audience of 3,500 people.
For many in the room, Sivan is regarded as an LGBTQ+ icon, and this was reflected in the presence of various audience members draped in pride flags, as well as the rainbow-coloured lights illuminating the room. Before launching into the emotional ‘Heaven’, Sivan explained the meaning of the song and how it reflected his coming out story. The lyrics seem especially poignant after hearing the backstory – “without changing a part of me, how do I get to heaven?” potentially references the backwards belief held by many religious zealots that being anything other than straight is a mortal sin.
Sivan’s eclectic sense of style was echoed in his three seamless wardrobe changes throughout the 80 minute set, with constant set changes to match. It was obvious that the 23-year-old South African native played a substantial creative role in the design of this tour. Fan favourites ‘Youth’, ‘My My My’ and ‘Dance To This’ made the entire affair feel like a giant dance party surrounded thousands of your friends.
“Oh wow, this is a big stage!” Sivan exclaimed, and yet at 5’8″, the pop star had no trouble making his stage presence known. He was pitch perfect, even while dancing enthusiastically around the stage, never missing a beat. He exuded an infectious attitude that had the entire audience dancing.
Troye Sivan is a showman, and an incredibly good one at that – the way he demands the attention of an entire venue is outstanding to watch. His new album, Bloom, is available to stream now, and I urge you all to give it a listen.
Featured image: aAh! In each print issue, aAh! Magazine explores one word which runs as its theme. Next up is The FRESHERS Issue 24/25. aAh! Magazine invites all Manchester Met students interested in journalism, writing, photography and design to pitch ideas to be considered for print publication for the upcoming issue: The FRESHERS Issue 24/25….
Featured image: Seagoth “This album is dedicated to all of the people who can’t take a day off from themselves, to the people who have to face their greatest fears every single day – and to all the pain we feel, may we heal”. – Seagoth on How to Stay Wide Awake. While studying music…
Featured image: So La Flair Theatre Ellie Campbell and Megan Keaveney graduated last year from Manchester Theatre School. The pair met at a house party in their first year, where Ellie was standing on a table singing her heart out to Florence and the Machine. Megan locked eyes with her and knew they would be…
Featured image: PA As members of BTS embark on their military services, South Korean singer and songwriter Golden Maknae Jungkook is taking a venture into his new solo journey. Jungkook is celebrated for his outstanding stage presence and vocal ability to traverse different genres. With the discovery of his new upcoming album Golden, including 11…
1 Comment
aAh Magazine (Formerly Humanity Hallows) | Meliza Sestito