Australian singer Troye Sivan’s 2023 album — Something to Give Each Other — captured the newfound electricity of escaping lockdown and the party scene revival. Three years later, She’s the Best reflects on the other side of that liberation, as Sivan walks us through the heartbreaks and deeper cuts he experienced throughout that time. Sivan blends the best of many genres, including pop, acid house, and drum and bass, giving listeners a range of groovy tracks to bump in the club and sing their hearts out to.
Released back in August, the titular song, ‘She’s the Best,’ allowed fans an insight into how Sivan’s style was developing. The track is more alternative than his previous works — the spoken word and ethereal synth create a nostalgic 90s sound, which feels intimate to listen to.
The release of ‘Party’ continued with a new but still unmistakably Troye Sivan sound — perhaps with influence from BFF Charli XCX on backing vocals. ‘Party’ switched the grunge of ‘She’s the Best’ to a club anthem with a thumping house pop beat. Madonna’s stamp of approval — given in the sample of her song ‘Music’ used in the backing track —suggested that the album was going to be a whirlwind of old-school influence from the best pop music to more underground dance tracks of the 90s.
The full album, released in October, gives us the sensual ‘Canada Dry’ and upbeat ‘Troye Meets World’. However, the sound slows for the rest of the album, showing a more vulnerable side to Sivan. Tracks like ‘Cowboy’ and ‘Embarrassingly’ depict the blurred lines between lust and love, as Sivan recounts messy breakups and fleeting nights in a dreamy, intimate manner. ‘Le Boy,’ ‘FF’ and ‘Sex Star’ convey Sivan’s dreams of a future partner, as the undertones of his loneliness give the lyrics a poignant punch to the synth-filled beats.
To close the album, ‘Lost Time’ was described by Sivan as “essentially a manifestation song,” depicting Sivan with a future lover. Sivan’s close friend, actress Lily-Rose Depp, speaks the last words of the track in French, creating a bittersweet end which beautifully reflects the album’s overall sentiment: the frustration in finding authentic romantic connection.
This experimental album, in all its weirdness, captures feelings of loneliness, longing and romance in a sound that many young queer people can relate to. She’s the Best has truly cemented Sivan as a modern pop icon.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
