spotlight
You’ve sort of become a poster child for the young LGBTQ movement. I literally get teary eyed watching your videos, the freedom I see in you, your music and your ability to express your true self. Wow. Thank you so much.
You’ve never apologized for who you are, which is another thing I find really cool about witnessing your journey. Do you credit that to having the kind of family support that you had, or is it just a part of who you are? First and foremost, I should say I credit almost
everything to LGBTQ people who came before me for anything like I’m able to do. I’ve had it so easy, if you know what I mean. My radicalism is making a music video that’s funded by a major record label, which then gets posted and I get almost no negative comments on it. The people who came before me and marched in the streets, they made it possible for someone like me to even exist today. I credit it to those people and then, to the really strong support system of my family, my friends and my fans, ultimately. I feel so safe in their hands, I feel like anything could happen and I know at the end of the day I have these people to fall back on. That safety is apparent in your new album. There’s a lovely expression of queer sexuality that I found delightful because it’s so unencumbered, specifically in the song “Bloom.” What was the motivation behind writing the song and what prompted you to choose it as your album title? Honestly, I so had the word “bloom” before we
even wrote that song. I knew that it resonated with me and I kind of felt like it summed up where I was in my life: it felt celebratory, it felt joyous, which is everything that I want to capture. In a session we had kind of started toying with the song idea, but it wasn’t really going anywhere. As a last resort my best friend Leland, who’s another queer artist, he and I were kind of whispering to each other and having a laugh about what we could potentially write this song about. It felt cheeky and fun and like something we would have done in private, I never thought it would see the light of day. I kind of fell in love with the song and I’m so happy I did, because it felt exciting to me… the real me. Thankfully, it’s had a really, really positive reaction from people. I think the song is going to be a fun one to play live for the rest of my life and I’m happy it exists. Let’s talk a little bit about the filmBoy Erased and your role in it. I know it’s not quite out yet, but I’m wondering how you got involved? It was actually a really traditional route, I got sent
the script and I auditioned for the movie. That was the beginning of my falling in love with this project. I flew through the script in like two hours and would
have done anything to be a part of the project, because it feels so meaningful and important. I knew from the cast and crew working on the movie, that it was going to be handled sensitively and it’s just an incredibly important story to tell. Thankfully, I got the part and just threw myself at it in any way possible. I was like, “If you guys want to use any of my music, any of my old catalogue, you can have it. If you want me to write something new for the film, I will… I just want to be involved.” Now, I’ve got an original song in the movie, and they also put “The Good Side” [from Bloom] on the soundtrack. I’m just so proud to be a part of this project. Of the songs onBloom, is there one that sort of speaks to you in particular? For me, “Animal” is one of my favorite tracks. I had a
list of things that I wanted to achieve with this album and “Animal” sort of checked all of those boxes in one song. I Love the way that it sounds, I love the lyrics and I’m really, really proud of it. If somebody said to me “You can only give me one track to kind of sum up where you’re at musically and personally, which one would you give?” I would give “Animal,” because it speaks to me the most.
Bloom released on Friday, August 31, to get your copy, go to
troyesivanstore.com.
Boy Erased, Sivan’s latest film, opens on Friday, November 2. For more information, go to
focusfeatures.com/boy-erased.
HERE’S A RAPID-FIRE Q&A, A SORT OF A “GET TO KNOW TROYE MOMENT.”
What type of shows do you watch in your spare time? I watch a lot of documentaries, like anything I can get my hands on.
Favorite singer you’re listening to? Right now, Ryan Beatty.
If you could duet with anyone that you haven’t so far yet. Who would it be? Christine McQueen.
Stage rituals? A little hand thing with my band, we do it before every show.
What’s your favorite color? Like a royal blue.
Favorite comfort food? Pasta! Really good pasta.
What keeps you grounded? My family.
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RAGE monthly | SEPTEMBER 2018
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