Troye Sivan one of Australia’s biggest names reflects on ‘crazy’ success during short break

Superstar Troye Sivan is one of the hottest names in music, and back home for the ARIAs he tells how he “hides” from his “crazy life” to take stock of all the success in a wide-ranging interview.

It wasn’t that long ago that Troye Sivan wondered if his time had been and gone.

“I remember distinctly during COVID being like, ‘wow, I wonder if I’ve peaked or if I am done kind of thing’,” the actor and singer told The Sunday Telegraph.

“Third album, it has been a long time and everything, I just wasn’t sure if it was going to react and I feel really safe and lucky knowing that I’ve got people that I’ve seen at shows for years or that have been listening to my music or watching my YouTube videos since I was like a kid, I know that those people are there, but you never know how the world is going to react or if they’re going to react. And I was really honestly surprised at how wide everything was going once it started to come out and it’s made me really, really happy. It feels awesome.”

Troye Sivan will appear at the 2023 ARIA Awards. Photo: Supplied

Sivan is arguably the biggest Aussie star on the planet right now. The 28-year-old has notched up over 22 billion streams – a milestone few artists ever achieve.

His first album in five years – Something To Give Each Other – topped the Billboard Dance Chart and reached 20 on the Billboard 200. The tracks Rush and Got Me Started are everywhere, from clubs to the mall, on the radio and of course, TikTok.

Hailed as “the perfect popstar” by TIME, Sivan remains humble.

He is nominated for six ARIA Awards at Australian music’s big annual event that is being held at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday November 15. Among the categories he’s up for Best Pop Release, Best Solo Artist and Song of the Year.

Sivan also has another major film about to be released – Trolls Band Together – in which he voices the character of Floyd alongside Justin Timberlake as Branch and Anna Kendrick as Queen Poppy.

You can hear him squirm as it is put to him that he is ‘the biggest Aussie artist on the planet right now’.

“No, no,” he said. “Definitely not.”

Troye Sivan opened up about life in the spotlight. Picture: Supplied

Sivan is everywhere in the best possible way.

“As a sort of response I have come back to Melbourne just to hide for a little bit because it is crazy,” he said. “I am just so grateful and thankful and I think it is going to be a really fun week and I am excited to celebrate with friends and my label and stuff like that, regardless of how anything goes at the ARIAs, it is really nice to be home and having this moment with my family and friends.”

Sivan has won two ARIA Awards previously back in 2016 – Best Video and Song of the Year for Youth.

“They’re actually at my parents’ house. I feel kind of funny displaying stuff like that, so when I do get something like a plaque or an award or whatever, I normally send it to my parents’ house and they can do what they want with it,” he said. “One day, I’ll go and hopefully take my kids through it and show them all the stuff but I don’t want that looming over me or my guests at my house.”

Australian drummer and singer GFlip will perform at the ARIA awards.

Performers at the 2023 awards include G Flip, Budjerah, Brad Cox, Peach PRC and Jessica Mauboy, all of whom are up for multiple gongs.

As well as being nominated, Sivan will present at the ceremony that is being hosted by Brooke Boney and Tommy Little.

“The thing that’s really exciting about it is being there with my label, who I have been with for 10 years since day one,” he explained. “It is a collective celebration and a collective effort and I would not be able to do any of this stuff without the most incredible people around me. And so it’s fun to go and just have a night out basically, and have some drinks and just be with each other. I tis almost like an opportunity to really kind of take stock of what’s going on – it is nice to have those moments.”

Troye Sivan in a music video clip. Photo: Supplied

US actress Amy Poehler is among the many celebrities to have shared their Sivan dance moves. Picture: AFP

Sivan’s superpower with his new music has been making it accessible to everyone.

Openly gay, he sings about his love life but those tracks have proved relatable to all of his fans. It is something that has even shocked himself.

“That’s something we don’t really know until you release it,” he said. “I’ve always believed that the more personal you write, even though it seems counterintuitive, that that’s something that connects more with people and I think people can see themselves in it more,” he said. “But you never know. I wrote pretty specifically about my experience but then, even on a song like One Of Your Girls for example, I never really thought about the fact that it also works from a straight female perspective as well, where it’s like a story of unrequited love. I think it’s interesting to see how it’s being interpreted or being applied to different lives and it just makes me so happy that it’s connecting.”

Sivan actually got his start as an actor, playing a young James Howlett to Hugh Jackman’s adult lead in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and went on to become a major player in the early days of youtubing in Australia.

Social media again is playing a pivotal role in getting his music out there with TikTok, and specifically fan dances.

Troye Sivan ahead of his appearance at the 2023 ARIA Awards. Picture: Supplied

Amy Poehler is among the many celebrities to have shared their Sivan dance moves.

“It is honestly so much fun,” he said. “I go through phases with social media where at first I did it because it was so much fun and I was loving it. And then after a while, it kind of became a little bit daunting and scary and I think I took a step away and now it’s like I’ve got this really happy sort of balance where I know how to use it in a way that feels healthy and fun to me. I just love connecting with people and I think people are really funny and I love being a part of that conversation.”

Conceding social media can be challenging, he added: “I have sort of like guard rails to keep it healthy – I don’t have Twitter, or I would never search my own name and stuff like that.”

His worlds of music, art and acting are coming together perfectly for Sivan. He’s also got his lifestyle brand, Tsu Lange Yor, which The Sunday Telegraph can reveal will have a pop-up at Chinatown Country Club in Sydney from December 7 to 10.

“It sounds so corny to say because it really is a dream come true as all of these things scratch the same itch for me, which is I just love being creative,” he said. “I really love making things and trying things and expressing myself and collaborating with people that I think are so talented. For me, when you talk about longevity and stuff like that, the thing that I feel the most grateful for is that I still get to do it. I’m really thankful that I get to do the thing that I’ve always wanted to do, which is just make stuff, and it looks different every day. Sometimes it’s a song, sometimes it’s working on a TV show, sometimes it is working on Tsu Lange Yor, and it is the best.