Itโs one of those Fridays again, ladies and lads, those Fridays artists are dropping their albums and getting us all so excited we donโt know which to sit through first. To your left thereโs Coldplay, then thereโs The Kooks remixing their hits on your right. But, obviously, weโre not here to talk about themโฆ
Today isย all about Troye Sivanโs Blue Neighbourhood! You mightโve just discovered its lead single โWildโ and its follow-up โFoolsโ on the radio but these dreamy, ear-candy, pop-synth tracks by no means mark the first time that Troyeโs in the limelight. For the social media-savvy generation, heโs more than a familiar face. Spending his teenage years uploading video blogs on his YouTube channel TroyeSivan18, heโs gained over 3.6 million subscribers in less than 3 years. His 2014 EP TRXYE also went no.1 on iTunes in 50 countries and peaked at no.5 on Billboard Hot 200. If youโre already impressed, we say, take aย Happy Little chill pill and get your feels tank refilled because there are plenty more you need to know about him and love him for.
1. What you think is his last name, Sivan, is in fact his middle name, which is Hebrew for June, his birth month. His last name is actually Mellet.
ยฉNeon Theory
2. The Mellets are a Jewish household. They used to live in South Africa, where Troye was born, then moved to Australia when he was 2.
3. Troye has always wanted to pursue a career in the arts. At the age of 12, he starred as Oliver Twist in a local production of Oliver! He would then go on to win the lead role in the Spudย film trilogy adapted from the 2005 novel of the same name. As the production took place in South Africa, the films gave Troye the chance to reconnect with what was once home.
Fun fact: in Spud 3, heโs also joined by fellow YouTuber Caspar Lee.
4. He also played young Logan (Hugh Jackman) in the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine. โจDidnโt see this one coming, did you?
5. Before he signed with a major label like EMI Music Australia, he created his own opportunities. With his fanbase on YouTube continuing to grow, he knew he had a platform he could share his creativity and so he did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYsj_whblrs
In 2012 and 2013 he wrote and sang musical recaps of all the ~important~ moments in pop culture. And theyโre so catchy we would even get them on iTunes.
6. He also recorded a song inspired by the book and film The Fault in Our Stars for charity. All proceeds made went to the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, whose facilities treat children and adolescent patients across Western Australia.
7. Because of his genuine good self and many heart-to-heart uploads and hilarious collabs, heโs now a YouTube royalty.
And who else to reign the Internet with but his best friend Tyler Oakley? This video here also won Choice Web Collaboration at the Teen Choice Awards 2014. Yep, thereโs an award for that now.
8. Troye is openly gay.
On August 7, 2013 he uploaded a coming out video โbecause on August 7, 2010 I told my family that I am gay,โ he says, eyes on the camera. โAnd now on August 7, 2013, I want you guys to know that Iโm gay.โ A personโs sexual orientation shouldnโt be a biggie or something they owe to the public but Troye sees thereโs a value in giving back and standing up for the LGBTQ community, and simply being counted.
9. Being a cupcake that he is, he felt absolutely gutted after having to cancel two shows in Australia due to acute laryngitis (*BRB Googling*) which made him too ill to sing. Read his apologetic letter on Tumblr here.
10. He once made Adele โproper[ly] criedโ. Unintentionally, of course. The British songstress was sent a clip of the audience at Troyeโs show singing โHelloโ. Itโs safe to say she was overwhelmed seeing from this tweet.
Got sent this from Troye Sivanโs gig last night. It gave me chills โค๏ธ pic.twitter.com/4HGPKP2eVS
โ Adele (@Adele) November 5, 2015
See her pretty much freak out again about the incident in this video.
11. Troye collaborated with Zedd on a track called โPapercutโ which was featured on the Russian-German DJโs album True Colors. Have a listen here:
12. He was all ~Grammys & Chill~ with Sam Smith on the night of the ceremony. โIโd met Sam Smith before and we kinda like became mates a little bit,โ Troye told Concrete Journal. โSo I spent a lot of Grammy night just hanging out with him, and we went to a party that was full of everyone that I had ever listened to growing up.โ
ยฉTori Kelly’s Twitter
Sam Smith took the bromance to another level when he posted a picture on Instagram in support for Troyeโs EP. We quote, “My boy @troyesivan his voice does things to my body.”
Same, Sam. Same.
13. He was named one of โ25 Most Influential Teens of 2014โ by Time Magazine. And this year he won GQโs Breakthrough Solo Artist Award and BBC Radio 1โs Alternative Teen Award.
Now, there are many around the world whoโve already pinned Troye Sivanโs unique sound as the voice of a generation. But even when Adele, Sam Smith or Taylor Swift are raving about his songs, it still wouldnโt mean much if you didnโt give them a listen yourself. We did and we think he’s definitely one to look out for. You can stream or purchase Blue Neighbourhood on iTunes now.
