"Easy" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan from his fifth EP, In a Dream (2020). It was released on 15 July 2020 as the second single from the EP, accompanied by its music video, which was directed by Sivan.[1]
| "Easy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Troye Sivan | ||||
| from the EP In a Dream | ||||
| Released | 15 July 2020 | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop | |||
| Length | 3:46 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Oscar Görres | |||
| Troye Sivan singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Easy" on YouTube | ||||
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2020, "Easy" was nominated for Best Video.[2]
On 10 December 2020, Sivan released a new version of the song featuring country singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves and producer Mark Ronson.[3]
Background
editLyrically, "Easy" is a song about someone trying to salvage a dying relationship. Sivan sings of how being in love with his partner was "easy" and begs him to "please don't leave me". The track was allegedly written about Sivan's breakup with American model and photographer Jacob Bixenman, whom he had dated from 2016 to 2020.[4]
Critical reception
editJustin Curto of Vulture called the song "a more relaxed outing than 'Take Yourself Home', built around some drums, lots of autotune, and a flute-y synth solo".[1]
Stephen Daw of Billboard wrote: "With '80s-twinged production and Sivan's classic laid-back delivery, 'Easy' follows the star as he examines a crumbling relationship, begging his lover to give their relationship a second chance."[5]
Music video
editReleased on 16 July 2020, the self-directed video focuses on a heartbroken Sivan attempting to come to terms with a recent breakup in a large mansion. Visually, the video uses a muted grey, blue and green colour palette as Sivan sings until he sits down to watch an 80's-inspired music video on television which features Sivan paying homage to David Bowie, wearing a vintage brown Gucci suit and black leather gloves, sporting bright red hair and white and yellow makeup while backed by a band of drag queens on a bright, neon pink set. Sivan then succumbs to the pain of losing his lover as a mirror falls on top of him, leaving a huge cut on his forehead. Clips of Sivan performing as Bowie and sitting alone in the mansion drinking and crying are interspersed with him dancing shakily around the room. His body subsequently bursts into flames in the shape of a cross and Sivan falls backwards into a pool and sinks to the bottom.[6] The video received 300,000 views within its first nine hours of release and has currently accumulated almost 10 million views on YouTube.[7] A shot of Sivan in the pool is used as the cover art for In a Dream. The video was nominated for the ARIA Award for Best Video at the 2020 ARIA Music Awards.[8]
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[9] | 4 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[10] | 11 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[11] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 15 July 2020 | [1] |
Remix
edit| "Easy" (remix) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
_cover.jpg) | ||||
| Single by Troye Sivan and Kacey Musgraves featuring Mark Ronson | ||||
| Released | 10 December 2020 | |||
| Genre | Disco-pop | |||
| Length | 3:34 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Troye Sivan singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Kacey Musgraves singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Mark Ronson singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Easy" (remix) on YouTube | ||||
"Easy" was remixed with vocals from American singer Kacey Musgraves and production from British musician Mark Ronson. It was released on 10 December 2020. Musgraves co-wrote and performed a new verse for the song, and Ronson added a "disco-pop heartbeat" to the track.[13]
Background and release
editSivan tweeted that he collaborated with "two of [his] favourite artists of all time" and filmed a music video that "[had] potential to be [his] favourite [he's] ever made" in November,[14] and announced his collaboration with Musgraves and Ronson on 7 December.[15] Sivan and Musgraves previously collaborated on the song "Glittery" from The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show (2019).[16]
The song was sent to contemporary hit radio in the United States on 2 February 2021, making it Musgraves' first pop radio crossover single.[17]
Music video
editThe music video for the remix was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee and directed by Bardia Zeinali, who previously directed the music video for Sivan's 2018 song "Dance to This".[18] It was released to coincide with the song on 10 December 2020. It features Sivan and Musgraves as two people on the run, driving vintage cars, dyeing their hair in a motel bathroom and going to melodramatic drag shows, with Sivan explaining to Vogue that his and Musgraves's character have "separately had our own experiences, regrets, scorned our lovers and will find solace in each other".[19]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Easy" (remix) | 3:34 |
Chart
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[20] | 14 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 10 December 2020 |
|
[3][12] | |
| United States | 2 February 2021 | Contemporary hit radio | Capitol | [17] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Curto, Justin (15 July 2020). "Let Troye Sivan's New Song 'Easy' Soothe Your Soul". Vulture. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "ARIA Awards 2020 Nominees". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Troye Sivan teases Kacey Musgraves and Mark Ronson collab". diymag.com. 7 December 2020.
- ^ Milton, Josh (28 July 2020). "Troye Sivan 'breaks up' with boyfriend of four years after crooning about being 'so sad and alone'". PinkNews.
- ^ "Troye Sivan Kicks Off In a Dream EP Rollout With Hypnotic New Single "Easy"". Billboard. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ "Troye Sivan Burns His Bridges (and Himself) in Melancholy 'Easy' Video: Watch". Billboard.
- ^ "Troye Sivan releases new music video for 'Easy' | NME". NME. 16 July 2020.
- ^ "ARIA Awards 2020 Nominees". www.aria.com.au.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "iTunes Store (US) - Music - Troye Sivan & Kacey Musgrave - Easy (feat. Mark Ronson) - Single". iTunes Store (US). 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ Haylock, Zoe (10 December 2020). "Troye Sivan and Kacey Musgraves Make It 'Easy' to Love Their New Music Video". Vulture. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ Kenneally, Cerys (10 November 2020). "Troye Sivan says he's collaborated with "two of my fave artists of all time"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Troye Sivan teases Kacey Musgraves and Mark Ronson collab". DIY. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ DeVille, Chris (10 December 2020). "Troye Sivan & Kacey Musgraves – "Easy" (Feat. Mark Ronson)". Stereogum. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (10 December 2020). "Watch Troye Sivan, Kacey Musgraves, and Mark Ronson's New 'Easy' Video". Pitchfork.
- ^ Valenti, Lauren (9 December 2020). "Troye Sivan on Why a Mullet Was a Must for His New Music Video With Kacey Musgraves". Vogue.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.