Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan is embracing a more personal and unpredictable direction on his upcoming album, She’s the Best, balancing the euphoric energy of the dance floor with reflections on loneliness, identity and the desire for meaningful connection.
Set for release on October 9 through Interscope Records, the 31-year-old artist’s latest project follows Something to Give Each Other, his acclaimed 2023 album that marked a significant turning point in his career. Tracks such as “Rush” and “Got Me Started” helped establish his reputation for sleek, club-inspired pop and earned him Grammy nominations.
The success of that album also placed Sivan at the centre of pop culture, particularly during the period surrounding Charli xcx’s Brat era. Their collaboration on the “Talk Talk” remix and their joint Sweat Tour in 2024 brought their shared appreciation for dance music to arenas transformed into nightclub-like environments.
With She’s the Best, however, Sivan is interested in exploring what happens beyond the exhilaration of a night out. The record moves between self-assurance and vulnerability, pairing energetic dance tracks with songs that examine longing, isolation and the hope of finding love.
Sivan began working on the album immediately after the Grammy Awards but soon realised he needed more time before committing to a new project. That pause ultimately helped him develop a record with a deliberately unpredictable structure, shifting between intimate reflections and moments that capture the larger-than-life spectacle of pop.
He describes the contrast as a kind of musical whiplash, moving from deeply personal material into what he calls “Troye Meets World.” The album concludes with “Lost Time,” a hopeful song directed towards a future romantic partner he has yet to meet. Its sentiment is captured in the lyric, “Someday soon I wanna meet ya.”
A tribute to the women who shaped him
The title track, “She’s the Best,” reflects Sivan’s appreciation for the women and feminine people who have made him feel supported, inspired and empowered throughout his life.
Growing up gay, he often found comfort in women’s company, particularly during periods when he did not feel protected or understood by men. He also recalls having girlfriends while he was still closeted, experiences that contributed to his complicated relationship with identity and belonging.
The song extends beyond gratitude towards others, serving as an acknowledgement of the feminine side of himself that he spent years struggling to accept. Today, he views that part of his identity with greater affection and understanding.
Sivan has long felt somewhat removed from conventional social groups. He did not always fit comfortably among boys because of expectations surrounding masculinity, while his friendships with girls sometimes left him feeling like an addition to an established circle rather than a complete member of it.
That experience of being an outsider has influenced how he approaches the music industry. Rather than constantly comparing himself with other performers, he believes his position outside certain traditional hierarchies has allowed him to avoid some of the competitiveness that defines pop culture.
He has also observed the intense comparisons frequently made between female pop stars, describing the discourse surrounding so-called pop girls as bewildering. He is grateful that he does not experience the same level of scrutiny in that particular arena.
The pop star’s new album, She’s the Best, gives Troye Sivan more breathing room to dig into darker feelings.
Marcus Cooper
Charli xcx’s influence on the album
Charli xcx remains an important creative influence on Sivan, contributing backing vocals to the project. Her husband, producer George Daniel, also worked on the title track.
Sivan admires Charli’s commitment to her work and the intensity with which she pursues her artistic vision. Watching her operate has encouraged him to reconsider his own creative limits and what he might accomplish with a similar level of focus.
The song “Party” offers a playful nod to Charli’s musical sensibilities, while the women who inspired “She’s the Best” include not only the pop star but also Sivan’s mother, sister, teachers and two of his closest friends.
The album’s dance-floor focus is particularly evident on “Party,” which samples Madonna’s 2000 hit “Music.” Sivan imagined the track as a cinematic sequence that begins with a wide view of a nightclub before drawing closer to an individual immersed in the experience.
He wanted the music to recreate the physical sensations of being on a crowded dance floor: the bass moving through the body, the warmth of the lights against the face and the surrounding presence of other people.
For Sivan, those details are central to the appeal of club culture. He rarely drinks and says he does not use drugs, but he remains drawn to the experience of people gathering around music. During a visit to Berlin, he was struck by the number of people who appeared to be there simply to dance and share an experience.
He finds something deeply moving about watching people lose themselves in music. Imagining the human skeletons beneath their individual appearances reminds him that, despite their differences, everyone in the room shares the same basic physical form.
That sense of commonality reinforces one of the album’s central ideas: the possibility of connection through movement, music and community.
Moving beyond polished pop
Musically, She’s the Best draws inspiration from a broad range of artists, including Arthur Russell, The Avalanches, The Radio Dept., Cornelius and Janet Jackson.
Sivan wanted the new material to feel less controlled than the music on his previous album. Instead of pursuing a consistently polished sound, he experimented with arrangements and vocal performances that felt more spontaneous and immediate.
He recorded more of his vocals at home and learned to take greater control of their production. The process also encouraged him to explore his falsetto and experiment with more expansive vocal moments.
The title track takes a particularly unusual approach. Rather than singing its central message, Sivan delivers it as spoken word. He felt that presenting such an affectionate statement through a conventional melody risked making it sound overly grand or insincere.
The result reflects his broader interest in allowing songs to develop according to what feels emotionally authentic, rather than forcing them into familiar pop structures.
Other tracks, including “Le Boy” and “Sex Star,” explore romantic desire and yearning. Together, they reveal a more vulnerable side of an artist whose public image has frequently been associated with confidence, sensuality and carefree nightlife.
The loneliness behind the spotlight
Despite his professional success, Sivan admits that his personal life has not always developed alongside his career. Having been single for an extended period, he is increasingly aware of the tension between his demanding work schedule and his desire for a romantic relationship.
At 31, he recognises that the time and energy required to maintain his career can sometimes come at the expense of building a life outside it.
His upbringing in Perth, Australia, remains an important point of reference. The relatively isolated city, which offered limited access to the entertainment industry, helped shape the person he believes he still is beneath the layers of fame and professional achievement.
For Sivan, making music has become a way to process those experiences. The album functions as a personal diary, allowing him to confront feelings that might otherwise remain unspoken.
Admitting to loneliness is particularly challenging because vulnerability can feel less appealing than the confident persona associated with pop stardom. Yet he has become more willing to acknowledge that emotional reality rather than conceal it behind a polished public image.
That honesty is central to what he hopes listeners will take away from the record. Beyond the production, the performances and the spectacle, he wants audiences to recognise the person behind the music.
“This is a real person. This is not a product,” is the impression he hopes the album will leave.
With She’s the Best, Sivan brings together the physical energy of club music and the emotional complexity of being human. Its songs move between celebration and solitude, reflecting an artist who continues to discover how to make space for both his public identity and his private needs.
