Troye Sivan is sexy, ready to party, and looking for love on She’s the Best.

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TOP 5

5. Sex Star

Troye Sivan, the master of yearning, is yearning again on “Sex Star.” He described She’s the Best as “horny, connected, and queer,” and “Sex Star” is honestly the perfect example of that theme. On this track, Troye describes what he wants his life to be with his future partner. It’s an emotional ballad, but at the same time, it’s kind of freaky. While it’s fundamentally about yearning for a relationship, it still has a lot of personality and its own kind of charm.

4. Cowboy

“Cowboy” is during the stretch of tracks that includes “Sex Star” (and the eventual #1 on this list) that’s about this imaginary man. This track in particular is about the contrast between that man’s kind personality and how he would act when he and Troye would engage in more private activities. Troye can picture all of this vividly.

The production is really cool on this track. While it is a laid-back pop song, there are a couple of instrumental moments that remind me of the score for a western movie. That’s really clever.

3. Troye Meets World

“Troye Meets World” is one of the more upbeat tracks on She’s the Best. It has some of the most interesting production on the record. It mostly has a very club-driven feel with lots of elements, and ends with a saxophone. The chorus is tuned up, giving Troye’s speech a robotic quality. Everything on “Troye Meets World” is a frenzy. It’s preceded by yearning-based songs (directly after “Sex Star,” for example), and suddenly, Troye is in a new, primal, chaotic environment. It reminds me of his friend Charli XCX’s song “365” from her album BRAT in its chaos.

2. Canada Dry

“Canada Dry” is so good that Troye had to tease it back in July. It’s kind of named after the soda (he wants an “ice-cold drink”), but it’s also about a “handsome Canadian” he’s interested in, which I think is a clever double meaning. It was originally titled “Addison Rae” as a nod to his friend’s song “Diet Pepsi.”

This song was created for the club. This would be so fun to dance to. I really think that it would have been a better single than “Party,” but regardless, it is such a fun track, and I will be playing it on repeat.

1. Le Boy

“Le Boy” is on the stretch of tracks yearning for an imaginary man. My favorite part of this song is the music. It’s so unique compared to everything else, while still feeling undeniably at home on She’s the Best. The chord progression is my favorite part. There are a lot of accidentals in the melody that make it feel really unique and almost ethereal at times.

The outro really speaks to the idea of this man that he created: “I was born in love with you / Love was sure fresh out the womb / And rest assured, you’re coming home soon.” While a lot of this album feels like a desire for someone unattainable and unrealistic, this moment emphasizes the genuine hope that Troye has to find “le boy.”

SONG BY SONG RATING

She’s the Best (4/5)

Canada Dry (4.5/5)

Party (3.5/5)

I Do This For You (4/5)

Cowboy (4.5/5)

Embarrassingly (4/5)

Le Boy (4.5/5)

Sex Star (4/5)

Troye Meets World (4.5/5)

FF (4/5)

Love So Big It Hurts (4/5)

Lost Time (feat. Lily-Rose Depp) (4/5)

RGM RATING

(B)

This is a very Troye Sivan album. She’s the Best is sexy, fun, yearning, queer, and probably hungover the next day from all the partying. Troye described the love songs for a nonexistent man as pathetic, but I think that it’s really beautiful. While the record contains sadness, there’s also a lot of hope, even if it’s not explicitly stated.

There are a lot of different vibes in the tracks, but there’s the unifying concept of loneliness and longing in various settings—even parties—and it’s all infectiously poppy. This is a well-conceptualized record.

Overall, She’s the Best was a good listening experience. It’s not my favorite work that Troye has done, but I think it’s solid, and I wasn’t at all disappointed. That girl really is the best.

Emma Platt