Troye Sivan: ‘I feel stronger, sexier and more confident than ever’

Top Aussie singer Troye Sivan felt “intimidated” at the prospect of stripping to his undies for the world to see, but didn’t let that stop him.

Singer Troye Sivan concedes he felt a little unnerved at the prospect of stripping to his undies for the world to see.

The top Aussie artist didn’t let his nerves get in the way though as he stepped in front of the camera to front Calvin Klein’s Feel Pride campaign.

“I honestly was really intimidated, purely because I’ve never shot just in my undies before,” Sivan tells Insider.

“There was definitely a vulnerability to it. And I think had I have shown up with a different team, I potentially would have felt really on edge.”

The campaign was shot by Joe Brennan, a friend of Sivan's, in Sydney at the end of 2022 and is released tomorrow to celebrate World Pride Sydney kicking off on February 18.

Troye Sivan is the face of the Calvin Klein Pride Campaign.

“I’ve shot for Calvin Klein before but in clothes and so then to see that the classic Calvin Klein undies shot, that felt like more of a pinch me moment. Like, ‘oh my god, I am in a Calvin Klein campaign’. It was a very cool moment.”

Mark Wahlberg, eat your heart out. “Yeah, but like, a skinny gay guy,” Sivan laughed.

Troye Sivan winning Song Of The Year at the 2016 ARIA Music Awards. Picture: Christian Gilles

Sivan, 27, has flown the rainbow flag as an unofficial ambassador for the queer community for many years. He came out at around 15 and has shared his stories of love and life through his global hit singles Wild, Youth, My My My and Bloom.

“What a privilege for me to have had a supportive family and friend network,” he said.

“My sexuality has never impacted my work life and that wouldn’t have been the case like 20 years ago or whatever.

“Everything’s all good for me so let me now go and try my best to like scream from the rooftops and show people that who they are is perfectly, not only okay, but is beautiful and that everyone is different.

Sivan for his film Three Months. Picture: Gadir Rajab

Sivan at the 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion in New York in 2021. Picture: Getty

“That’s one of the greatest things about humanity and I just sort of see it as a massive opportunity and I’ve always seen it that way because again, my coming out was, of course I had my struggles and it was a tough first, but ultimately, I think I recognised almost immediately that I’m one of these insanely lucky ones who, everything is going really great for. You know, how do I now, take that and run?”

Sivan first came out to a girlfriend, then his parents. He is acutely aware that others have had much tougher coming out experiences and believes visibility in a world where it is still illegal to be gay in some countries is all important.

“Their (his parents) biggest concern the second I came out to them was like, are you okay?” he explained.

“They sent me to therapy, but not conversion therapy. It was like, ‘oh my God, you’ve been dealing with this by yourself for this long, are you okay? Having that sort of response from your loved ones, it kind of makes you feel a bit invincible because I don’t care if Joe Schmo on the street calls me a slur.”

Sivan spoke to Insider from New York, where he has been working on his much anticipated next album. He will be in Sydney through World Pride and Mardi Gras.

“Pride as a concept is absolutely for everyone,” he said.

Troye Sivan in the Calvin Klein Pride Campaign.

“As a kid growing up, with this massive event every single year that sort of like envelops the whole city, I feel like it shows everyone that no matter what your personal circumstances are, that there is a community out there of people who love you and want to celebrate you. That in itself, the bare bones concept of that is so important and special and really beautiful.”

Calvin Klein meanwhile is a brand that has long supported the rainbow pride movement, well before it became cool to do so. It is putting its money where its mouth is so to speak by donating to BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation through the PVH Foundation for each garment sold.

They have also partnered with First Nations artist Jake Simon on an exclusive local capsule collection as part of the This Is Love collection.

“You can feel with Calvin Klein its genuine, the support and the love,” Sivan said, adding of his photo shoot preparation: “I didn’t (prepare). I just like probably spent a bit of time in the sun to try and get like a little bit of a tan so that I wasn’t too pasty.”

As an actor too, Sivan has also tackled issues around sexuality in films Boy Erased and Three Months.

It has been five years since Sivan released his Bloom album and he is “raring to go” with new music that he recently teased to his many millions of followers on social media.

“I’m getting to the point now where I’m … really itching to get people listening to the music and to start making things around it so it’s a very exciting time,” he said.

Troye Sivan in the Calvin Klein Pride Campaign.

“The reason why I think I’m so excited about it is just because I feel so like, self-assured. This is the most self-assured I’ve ever felt releasing music. I feel so much more confident as a songwriter than I ever have. I’m kind of just making it for me, like stuff that I really love. When we started making the album, the number one rule was this has to be like the funnest process ever. We were just having a really good time so the music is also really attached to all these beautiful positive memories of making it.”

Details and timing of the release are still to be announced. One thing is certain, Sivan will deliver an album of integrity.

“There is always vulnerability, like always,” he said.

“If it doesn’t feel vulnerable, even if it’s a song about sex or partying or something like that, I always strive for the most honest version of that. But for the most part I would say it’s hopeful. As a listener, I really like music that makes me feel sexy so I like making it, too. Love and sex, how many times have they been sung about in pop music? So the idea of trying to find a fresh way of saying something that has been said countless times is really fun for me just as a writer. It just tickles my pop brain. And also, it is like real life, it is where I am at.”

Originally published as Troye Sivan: ‘I feel stronger, sexier and more confident than ever’