Troye Sivan has been unveiled as the next Rolling Stone AU/NZ cover star.
The Australian pop superstar graces the September-November issue cover. Sivan sat down with Rolling Stone AU/NZ for exclusive, candid discussions in Los Angeles about his life, intimacy, upcoming album, and so much more.
Words by: Poppy Reid (@heypoppyreid) Photographer: Marcus Cooper (@marcuscooper) Creative Director: Katie Taylor (@Katie____) DOP: Connor Wyse (@czwyse) Lead Stylist: Jared Ellner (@jaredellner) Fashion Director: Alex Badia (@thealexbadia) Hair Stylist: Charlie Le Mindu (@charlielemindu) Makeup Artist: Loftjet (@loftjet) Photography Assistant: Nelson Castillo (@nelsonncastillo) Style Assistant: Brooke Figler (@brookefigler) Post Edit: Mario Ernun (@marioernun) Producer: Katie Taylor (@Katie____) Photographed at: (@edge_studios)
The cover story, written by Rolling Stone AU/NZ Editor-in-Chief Poppy Reid, chronicles Sivan’s personal journey to his third studio album, Something to Give Each Other, which will be released in October (pre-save/pre-order here).
Described as “a celebration of sex, dance, sweat, community, queerness, lover, and friendship,” the award-winning singer-songwriter’s upcoming album is led by the impactful party single “Rush”. “Rush” is the feeling of kissing a sweaty stranger on a dance floor, a two hour date that turned into a weekend, a crush, a winter, a summer,” Sivan said upon the single’s release.
Sivan’s cover story also chronicles many of the ups and downs of his still-young career, with the 28-year-old recalling his occasionally troubled times as a child YouTuber, through to dealing with the recent controversy around US television series The Idol in which he stars as ‘Xander’.
Sivan also delves into some of the most poignant moments in his career as a musician, revealing that while making his debut album, Blue Neighbourhood, he came close to pulling the pin.
Elsewhere in his in-depth conversation with Reid, Sivan detailed his love of his home country. “I’ve always known that I could go back home to Australia and my family would be there. And that’s the best. It makes you invincible to a certain extent,” the LA-based artist explained.
Reid also spoke with Sivan’s collaborators like Helena Deland, who had high praise for the Australian. “I think queer generations after us are going to look back and just see how important Troye’s music is and was,” she said.
“The opportunity to get to know a genuine, homegrown international superstar is rare. Troye Sivan is one of them and his generous spirit was present during our entire time together — even when we discussed quite sensitive topics,” Reid said.
“With our chats taking place in his new hometown of LA, we got to see Troye in his element in the lead-up to the release of what will be his most commercially successful album yet.”
Of the photoshoot, Sivan said: “I just love collaboration across everything, that’s my favourite part of the creative process whether it’s with incredible hair stylists like Charlie [Le Mindu], or a photographer like Marcus [Cooper] who I’ve worked with before, I think just finding people that you can have that back and forth. I think that’s really what I’m addicted to because now it’s happening in all these different forms for me.”
The September-November edition hits newsstands in Australia and New Zealand from today, September 4th. For the second time since it relaunched under The Brag Media in 2021, the magazine will also be available in Coles supermarkets across the country.
The new edition also includes features interviews with Abbie Chatfield and Eurovision stars Voyager, album reviews of Foley, Thy Art Is Murder, SAFIA, and many more, as well as a New Zealand edition of ‘Artists Tipped to Take Over’, unearthing eight Kiwi acts destined for the top. Also included is a beautiful photo essay by renowned music photographer Chris Cuffaro, ‘Artists of Aotearoa’, which celebrates Kiwi music makers.
