YouTube pop star speaks out
YouTube sensation talks about being one of this year’s breakout stars
Troye Sivan is one of 2016’s breakout stars. But the young singer has been an online phenomenon for several years.
He’s a YouTube superstar, boasting more than 4 million subscribers and more than 265 million views. He came out as gay publicly via his channel in 2013.
Sivan has released a pair of EPs, “TRXYE” and “Wild,” and played a young James Howlett in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” His debut full-length album, “Blue Neighbourhood,” came out in December and includes the hit “Youth.”
Sivan’s dreamy pop sound has helped him amass a legion of young fans. Monday’s show at Revention Music Center is his second Houston appearance this year.
“The whole thing is just a big adjustment. I went from living at home in Perth, Australia — which I technically still do — to traveling and on tour and nonstop,” Sivan says. “It feels like it happened really slowly because this is what I’ve been working for as long as I can remember. But at the same time, it also feels like it’s happened so fast.
“It’s been such a whirlwind. I think the biggest thing for me has just been trying to take it in.”
Sivan took a break from rehearsals to talk life on tour, social media and Queen B.
Q: What does this tour feel like compared to past outings?
A: That was my first time ever putting a show together in general. I was just learning so much. I was so incredibly stressed out because I just wanted
everything to be perfect. This time around, we all know the majority of the songs. There’s some new stuff that we’re excited to play. Now that I understand how the process works, I have this creative freedom to really, really make everything perfect and trust the process.
Q: What did you learn from your first time on tour?
A: It’s going to sound like a weird answer, but I would say the biggest thing I learned was just how to stay healthy and happy on the road and how life works on the road. It’s a very peculiar lifestyle and one that takes a second to get used to. You’ve got to sort of find your feet in it. Now I sleep better on a tour bus than I do in a bed.
Q: What are your must-haves on the road?
A: Cold cuts of meat and stuff to make sandwiches. That’s like my No. 1 thing after I get offstage, making myself a sandwich. Mayonnaise, sriracha and cold meat.
Q: Do you have any sort of preshow ritual?
A: I like to spend the hour before the show just with the band, hanging out. Ideally, we all sort of put away our phones and everything and just connect. When you’re onstage and something goes right or something goes wrong, it’s all about connection. We all need to be able to communicate just through a glance if we have to. I think in order to get to that place, you have to be really present in the moment. We take the hour or so before the show to kind of get in that head space. We’ll do some push-ups maybe to get our blood flowing.
Q: You played Houston earlier this year. What comes to mind when you think of the city?
A: I think of good food. The last time I was in Texas I had this Cajun chicken pasta — I think it was in Houston — that blew my mind. Q: What’s the biggest
hurdle for you when it comes to social media?
A: The only real challenge is just finding the balance of “Do I want to share this?” or “Do I not want to share this?” It’s a line that can very easily get blurred — and then you feel a little bit exposed and weird.
Q: Favorite app?
A: For me, Instagram is such a good one. It’s creative. People are trying to post pretty stuff. And now there’s Instagram Stories, so it’s a little bit more instantaneous, and it takes a little bit less thought. I just really like it.
Q: You have a legion of fans who follow your every move on social media. Is there anyone you follow with similar enthusiasm?
A: There is a girl from New York City called Hari Nef. She’s an actress who was on “Transparent.” I manually go and check her Twitter page. I want to make sure that I don’t miss anything. She’s in Paris right now. Just so you know. Q: Last music you purchased? A: It would have been a song that I was editing a video to: “Don’t Hurt Yourself ” by Beyoncé. I love her. I just saw her show in LA. The thing that amazes me about her is that I genuinely think that she is excellent at everything that she does. She could do everything on its own but she does it all at the same time.