In the decade since dropping his debut single, Troye Sivan has been simmering, building a global fan base and rising through the ranks – and the charts – with a consistent output that’s earned him a place as one of the hottest male pop stars on the planet.
Down Under, in the States and much of Europe, he’s enjoyed steady success, but in the UK it’s been a climb to the top. His debut album ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ (2015) peaked outside the Top 40, but follow up ‘Bloom’ (2018) went Top 10 and his latest offering ‘Something To Give Each Other’ (2023) – a No. 1 in Oz – entered the Top 5.
Stepping out onto the stage at a packed Wembley Arena to Got Me Started – one of three Top 40 hits over here from his latest record – the 29 year old launched into a non-stop, high-energy set of pop anthems spanning the past 10 years, delivering a slick, intricately choreographed performance that proved his credentials as a vocalist, dancer and showman.
It’s from that opening number that videos of raunchy moment with one of his troupe of dancers holding the microphone phallically between his legs has become a viral sensation on social media, but the vastness of the 12,000 capacity venue is juxtaposed by the deep eye contact between the pair in one of several moments of intimacy that celebrates the queer experience.
Performing in the capital days ahead of Pride In London, Troye spoke of his experiences in the city around the release of his 2023 LP and the realisation that his global smash hit Rush was blowing up when people started singing lines from the poppers-inspired track at him as he walked the streets.
An obvious closer to the show, it got the raucous London crowd at its sweatiest, after a fired-up run of tracks from ‘Something To Give Each Other’ – from which the anthemic What’s The Time Where You Are? and latest single Honey (complete with cowboy-themed choreo, Troye sporting chaps) were highlights – along with favourites from his catalogue like the euphoric My! My! My! and Bloom.
A bed draped in silver satin sheets appeared on stage as a topless Troye delivered a raunchy performance of In My Room, from which his new LP gets its title, which he followed-up with a pair of Ariana Grande collaborations; his own Dance With Me and Supernatural from her latest record ‘Eternal Sunshine’ (2024).
The US star wasn’t in the house, but Troye had a couple of aces up his sleeve. Recreating the video for One Of Your Girls – in which the star appears in a drag persona – he donned an all-black number inspired by Madonna’s iconic Gaultier cone bra as star of the visual, actor and singer Ross Lynch, appeared on stage for a lap dance.
After a closely-fought chart battle with Taylor Swift with her latest album ‘Brat’, he later introduced Charli XCX for a duet of their Top 20 hit 1999, one of many undisputable highlights from the night and a powerful pairing of two of the most exciting stars in pop today.
Later this year, the duo head out on their co-headlining ‘Sweat Tour’ playing arenas across the US which, if this show is anything to go by, is one not to be missed.
Setlist: Troye Sivan – Something To Give Each Other Tour
1. Got Me Started
2. What’s The Time Where You Are?
3. My My My!
4. In My Room
5. Dance To This
6. supernatural (Ariana Grande cover)
7. Bloom
8. Still Got It
9. Can’t Go Back, Baby
10. could cry just thinkin about you
11. One Of Your Girls (with Ross Lynch)
12. Silly
13. You
14. STUD
15. 1999 (with Charli XCX)
Encore
16. Honey
17. Rush
