Troye Sivan released “She’s the Best” on August 13, a spoken-word-driven lead single that doubles as the title track for his fourth studio album, due October 9 through Tokky’s Music under exclusive license to Interscope Records, arriving with a Gordon von Steiner-directed music video that pairs the Australian pop artist with Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and RuPaul’s Drag Race champion Sasha Colby.
Key Takeaways
- “She’s the Best” was released August 13 as the lead single and title track from Troye Sivan’s fourth studio album, a 13-track project due October 9 via Tokky’s Music/Interscope Records.
- The single was written by Sivan, Leland, George Daniel (The 1975), Jack Antonoff, and Styalz Fuego, with production by Daniel, Antonoff, Fuego, and Sivan; it marks Sivan’s first collaboration with George Daniel.
- The accompanying music video, directed by Gordon von Steiner, features Nicole Kidman, Sasha Colby, and drag performers in a visual that draws on 1980s queer New York and fashion imagery.
- The album is Sivan’s first release since signing with Interscope Records, moving from his previous label home at EMI Australia and Capitol Records.
- The track includes a previously unannounced vocal cameo from Charli XCX, whose husband George Daniel co-produced and co-wrote the single.
The Single Breaks from Sivan’s Established Pop Formula
“She’s the Best” does not open the way a Troye Sivan single has ever opened before. Where “Rush” arrived in 2023 as a full-throttle pop-house anthem and “Got Me Started” leaned into uptempo dancefloor energy, the new track begins with spoken verses delivered over sparse piano. Guitars, strings, and synthesizers gather underneath the vocal before the arrangement breaks open into a fuller, more layered sound. The structure is closer to a poem set to music than a conventional pop single, a deliberate choice that signals the album will not replicate the sonic territory of “Something to Give Each Other.”
The songwriting credits reflect a new creative constellation. George Daniel, the drummer and primary producer of The 1975, worked with Sivan for the first time on this track. Daniel’s presence alongside Jack Antonoff, Leland, and Styalz Fuego (a returning collaborator from the “Something to Give Each Other” sessions) creates a production team that spans indie-electronic precision and pop maximalism. All four producers share the credit with Sivan, who is also listed as a co-producer on the track.
The song’s subject matter is explicit in its intention: it honors women, particularly trans women, drag queens, and feminine-presenting people who have shaped Sivan’s life, creativity, and sense of self. The vocal narration catalogs details about an unnamed woman with a tone that treats mundane observations as revelations. A small snippet at the end of the track includes a previously unannounced vocal appearance from Charli XCX, whose connection to the project runs through George Daniel. The cameo was not announced in advance and functions as a quiet signature rather than a featured billing.
The Nicole Kidman Video Reunites a “Boy Erased” Pairing
The music video for “She’s the Best” reunites Sivan with Nicole Kidman, who played his mother in the 2018 film “Boy Erased,” Joel Edgerton’s drama about a young man subjected to conversion therapy in the American South. The creative relationship between the two Australians extends beyond that film, but the “Boy Erased” connection gives the reunion a specific emotional weight: in that project, Kidman played a woman who ultimately chose her son over institutional expectations. In the “She’s the Best” video, she steps into a different register entirely, inhabiting a nightlife-centered world alongside Sasha Colby and a cast of drag performers.
Sivan has described the circumstances of Kidman’s involvement in characteristically candid terms. During a Zoom meeting, he received a call from an unknown number, let it go to voicemail, and then watched the transcription appear with a message beginning with Kidman’s greeting. The visual direction, crafted by Gordon von Steiner, draws on 1980s queer New York and fashion imagery, building a set of references that positions the video as both a period piece and a contemporary statement about visibility. Sequined gowns, oversized fur coats, a glowing neon “SISTERS” sign, and Sivan walking through city streets in a tailored suit establish an aesthetic vocabulary that the album’s broader visual campaign will likely continue to develop.
A New Label Home and a Shift in Creative Infrastructure
“She’s the Best” is Sivan’s first release since moving to Interscope Records. His previous three albums were released through EMI Music Australia and Capitol Records, a label structure that served him well commercially but placed him within a major label system where creative direction was shaped by existing institutional relationships. The move to Interscope, with the music released through his own Tokky’s Music imprint, suggests a restructuring of creative control that aligns with the album’s stated artistic ambitions.
The label shift also places Sivan within Interscope’s current roster alongside artists like Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Kendrick Lamar, a peer group that elevates his market positioning and gives the album access to Interscope’s promotional infrastructure during a competitive fall release window. October 9 will place “She’s the Best” in direct proximity to other major Q4 releases, a period when streaming competition intensifies and playlist placement becomes a decisive factor in first-week performance.
Sivan’s career metrics heading into the album cycle are substantial. Across his catalog, the Australian artist has accumulated more than 15.5 billion global streams, nine Billboard Hot 100 entries, three Grammy nominations, and eight ARIA Awards. “Something to Give Each Other” debuted at No. 1 on Australia’s ARIA Albums Chart, reached the top 10 across multiple international markets, and topped Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Albums chart in the United States. The “Rush” music video, also directed by Gordon von Steiner, became one of the most discussed pop visuals of 2023 and established the aesthetic template that Sivan is now evolving rather than repeating.
The Album’s Thematic Framework Centers Femininity as a Grounding Force
Sivan has described “She’s the Best” in language that frames the project as a personal document rather than a commercial exercise. In a statement accompanying the album announcement, the artist said the record captures his life “in all of its moods and colours,” exploring what he described as the high-octane highs of recent years alongside the solitude and longing that sat beneath them. The album, according to Sivan, traces a realization that the constant in his life was not work or romantic relationships but the influence of femininity and the women around him.
That thematic anchor gives the 13-track album a narrative coherence that extends beyond the lead single. If “She’s the Best” the song functions as a thesis statement, honoring the feminine presence that Sivan credits with keeping him grounded, the remaining 12 tracks are positioned to explore the moods and circumstances that led to that recognition. Sivan described the album as “chaotic, layered, organic, troubled and alive,” and called it the truest and most creative version of himself he has ever shared publicly.
The rollout leading up to the single’s release was orchestrated with precision. Earlier this summer, Sivan quietly replaced his official website with an interactive experience featuring a dramatic new portrait: slicked-back hair, glitter-covered eyes, white makeup, and bold red lipstick. A 14-second teaser released earlier in the week featured cinematic imagery of glamorous figures in sequined gowns and oversized fur coats, with stylized title cards revealing the single’s release date. The visual language established across the teaser, the website redesign, and the music video points toward an album campaign that treats the visual and musical components as inseparable.
The full tracklist for “She’s the Best” has not yet been revealed beyond the title track and the confirmation of 13 songs. Pre-orders are currently available through Sivan’s official channels and all major streaming platforms.
FAQs
When Does Troye Sivan’s New Album Come Out?
“She’s the Best,” Troye Sivan’s fourth studio album, is scheduled for release on October 9, 2026, through Tokky’s Music under exclusive license to Interscope Records. The 13-track project follows his 2023 album “Something to Give Each Other,” which was released through EMI Australia and Capitol Records. Pre-orders are available now.
Who Appears in the “She’s the Best” Music Video?
The music video, directed by Gordon von Steiner, features Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars champion Sasha Colby, and a cast of drag performers. Kidman and Sivan previously co-starred in the 2018 film “Boy Erased.” The visual draws on 1980s queer New York and fashion imagery and is centered around nightlife and feminine expression.
Who Produced the Lead Single?
“She’s the Best” was co-written by Troye Sivan, Leland, George Daniel, Jack Antonoff, and Styalz Fuego. Production credits go to George Daniel, Jack Antonoff, Styalz Fuego, and Sivan. The collaboration with George Daniel, the drummer and producer behind The 1975, is a first for Sivan. The track also includes an unannounced vocal cameo from Charli XCX.
