Troye Sivan, 23, is unapologetically himself. Our cover star, who hails from the land down under, is carving his own path of pop stardom.
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Sivan recently spoke to Billboard for their first-ever Pride issue about his coming out story, not watering down his upcoming album, and opens up about one of his relationships at 17.
"I'm honored to have this opportunity to write an album about my relationship [with model Jacob Bixenman], but in the process, be writing an album that I'm hoping is going to mean more, because I didn't have albums like that growing up," Sivan told Billboard. "Just by the nature of who I am, the idea of writing openly and not watering stuff down for a straight audience." Sivan said the songs "My My My!" and "Bloom" are based off real nights in his life.
In the Billboard piece, Sivan also goes deeper into other relationships, including one with an older man he met online when he was 17--the basis of one of his upcoming songs, "Seventeen."
"I've rehearsed the backlash and the response a million times in my head," said Sivan. "I'm worried because I don't want to ever come across that I'm condoning that or anything like it. But I felt, greater than all of those worries, a responsibility to tell that true story -- of the curious gay kid who puts himself in some kind of shady situation to find a connection, like all of us crave."
He also goes on to share more of his coming out story. As you may know, Sivan came out when he was 15 years old to his parents. His whole family - including his parents, two brothers, and sister - attended his first pride parade with him, according to Billboard. Sivan said, "It was cool because I realized that they weren't just tolerant of their gay son, they were stoked and proud."
For more from this interview, head over to Billboard--and check out the cover below.
Photographed on May 15th at Malibu Canyon Ranch in Calabasas, Calif. Styling by Karen Levitt. Grooming by Dustin Baker. Prop Styling by Justin Fry.
Shot by Ramona Rosales exclusively for Billboard
