Troye Sivan surprised fans Thursday by releasing the much-anticipated music video for “Heaven” a day early. The video, which sees Sivan cozying up to a shirtless lover, is spliced together with brief clips of Harvey Milk and the ACT UP gay rights protests.
Directed by Luke Gilford, the monochrome video is already being praised for its depiction of LGBT people and the struggles they have faced throughout history.
The track is from his debut album Blue Neighbourhood, and features Australian singer-songwriter Betty Who. On “Heaven”, Troye Sivan wrestles with identifying as LGBT while reconciling with his faith. “Without losing a piece of me/How do I get to heaven?/Without changing a part of me/How do I get to heaven?” Sivan sings.
While originally intended for release on Friday, the date of Trump’s inauguration, Sivan was overwhelmed by fans’ reaction to the teasers he posted on social media.
Sivan said in a statement: “We have always been here. We will always be here. This video is dedicated to all who’ve come before me and fought for our cause and those who now continue the fight. In dark and light times, let’s love forever.” Watch the video below: