Pochette officielle — Troye Sivan
Troye Sivan released his fourth studio album, She’s the Best, this Friday, October 9. The project follows Blue Neighbourhood (2015), Bloom (2018) and Something to Give Each Other (2023), marking a new chapter for the Australian singer and actor who has become one of pop’s most closely watched figures. The record takes its name from the lead single unveiled back in mid-August, and sets the tone for an album built to be watched as much as heard.
A love letter to women and drag queens
She’s the Best revolves around desire, identity and what Troye Sivan has described as a feeling of queer belonging. The title track, co-written with Leland, George Daniel, Jack Antonoff and Styalz Fuego, is framed by the artist as a love letter to women, trans women in particular, as well as to drag queens and to everyone whose femininity has shaped and accompanied him since the start of his career.
The video that accompanies the song makes that statement explicit. Directed by Gordon von Steiner, it conjures up the imagery of 1980s queer New York and its legendary clubs. Troye Sivan moves through a crowd of drag performers, including Sasha Colby, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15, before appearing in drag himself toward the end of the clip.
Nicole Kidman, the video’s unexpected muse
The video’s biggest surprise is Nicole Kidman herself, filmed in a smoky club setting, cigarette in hand, almost literally embodying the song’s title. The casting choice, as unexpected as it was widely noticed, drove much of the clip’s virality when it dropped in August, well ahead of the album’s official release.
Charli xcx, the surprise guest
Another knowing nod to queer, party-ready pop culture: Charli xcx appears at the end of the track, more as an additional voice than a conventional feature. The British singer, already spotted elsewhere this year on her team-up with Madonna on “Danceteria Afterhours”, confirms once again that she’s the go-to guest whenever queer, festive pop is on the menu.
Jack Antonoff and George Daniel, pop production’s safest bets
On the production side, Troye Sivan once again called on George Daniel, drummer of The 1975, and Jack Antonoff, both already present on Something to Give Each Other, joined this time by Styalz Fuego. That trio, now among the most in-demand names in international pop, gives the album a texture that feels both electronic and organic, staying true to the direction Troye Sivan has followed since 2023.
The album brings together around a dozen tracks depending on the streaming version, including a collaboration with Lily-Rose Depp on the song Lost Time. Troye Sivan had also previewed Party ahead of the release, confirming the coherence of a record built like a series of near-cinematic scenes — a fitting approach for an artist juggling both a singing and an acting career.
Queer pop built for the eye as much as the ear
From his early YouTube days to his film roles, Troye Sivan has always treated his work as a visual object in its own right. She’s the Best is no exception: every song feels built around its video, every collaboration around its image. The album cements the Australian artist’s place among pop’s most recognisable voices right now, standing at the crossroads of music, fashion and mainstream queer representation.
It remains to be seen how this new era will translate to the stage: Troye Sivan hasn’t yet announced a tour dedicated to She’s the Best, but the project’s visual ambition, from polished videos to A-list casting, suggests a show to match the record’s scope.
