Troye Sivan for Smirnoff6 Images
Following the release of his critically acclaimed third album, Something to Give Each Other (2023), and co-headlining one of the year’s most talked about cultural events, the Sweat tour, Troye Sivan is now branching out into the world of corporate leadership with an exciting new executive role: Chief Vibes Officer at Smirnoff.
The position was announced today with a tongue-in-cheek video showing the Australian singer-songwriter taking part in a press conference: when a sceptical journalist asks, “Is that a real thing…?” he replies, “Yeah, they gave me a business card.” Case closed! The mission, as he explains it, is to see everyone “go off”.
But what does that actually mean? Is he encouraging us to speak our minds with righteous diatribes and withering put-downs? Not quite. “When I think about going off, I think about my friends,” explains Sivan, speaking over the phone from Perth, Australia. “A really perfect night for me involves perfect music and perfect moments with the perfect group of people.”
Sivan is fresh off the Sweat tour, a joint venture with long-time friend and collaborator Charli xcx, which saw the pair hit 20 cities across North America. This became a fully-fledged phenomenon – it seemed like every stop brought with it some new viral clip or talking point – and the reception was as ecstatic in heartland states like Tennessee and Texas as it was in New York and California. Sivan says these have been the best few weeks of his life, and that the experience was a lot more enjoyable than his previous tours.
“Obviously, doing the shows has always been really fun, but the lifestyle around it can be really intense, lonely and draining, and the Sweat tour was none of those things,” he says. “Sharing it with someone like Charli, who I love so much, really helped, and with the dancers too – it was a travelling community.” The energy and enthusiasm of the people who came to the shows also played a big part in what made the tour so special. “It felt like we were throwing parties, not shows,” he says.
Sivan is now embarking on the Australia and New Zealand leg of his global tour, where he looks forward to keeping the good vibes going. “I reckon Australians are professionals at having fun,” he says of his home country. But while Sivan grew up in Perth, his most formative nightlife experiences took place in Melbourne, in the period between COVID lockdowns. “I was going out a lot,” he explains, “and I think because of the pandemic, I was so appreciative and grateful to be out with other people, feeling the music and the heat on the dance floor. It changed me, honestly.”
In honour of Sivan‘s appointment as Smirnoff’s Chief Vibes Officer (a multi-year partnership that the company is legally obliged to make clear is not actually a real job title – sad!), we asked him to teach us how to curate the perfect vibe, mix the perfect drink, get together with friends and go off in style.
CHOOSE YOUR MIXER WISELY
While there can be an austere sort of style to drinking Smirnoff straight, like you’re a character in a 19th-century Russian novel, you’re probably going to want a mixer. This is an important choice to make in your quest for the perfect night – if you’re drinking a nice vodka, it would be a sin to dilute the flavour with something cheap, nasty or garishly sweet. “I’m going to keep it versatile and say soda water because then you can do anything. The possibilities are endless,” says Sivan. “You could do some cranberry, you could do some lime, whatever you want. As for my least favourite mixer, I actually don’t really like tonic.”
GET THE VIBE GOING WITH THE RIGHT PLAYLIST
Whether you’re getting ready at home or hanging out with friends, the beginning of the night is about hyping yourself up and setting the tone for the night ahead. So unless you want to spend your evening as a solitary figure yearning on the dance floor, don’t listen to anything too melancholic: you want the vibe to be less Strawberries & Cigarettes (a good song though it is) and more Rush or Bloom.
The most important thing, says Sivan, is listening to something that makes you feel hot. Instead of limiting yourself to a single genre or artists, he suggests, you’re going to want your playlist to be as surprising and eclectic as possible. It helps if you have friends with good taste. “When I’m getting ready, I refer to my friend Samuel, who’s one of the dancers, because Samuel knows how to get everyone into a really good mood and you never really know what you’re going to get,” he says.
DRESS FOR STAMINA AND COMFORT, AS WELL AS STYLE
Wearing an elaborate outfit is definitely one way of going off, but you don’t want your clothes to stand in the way of you actually having a good time. It’s rarely worth sacrificing your ability to dance for extended periods of time on the altar of fashion – something to consider before opting for those ill-fitting thigh-highs you recently picked up from the local charity shop. “For me, I’m going to keep it fairly chill, because I want to be comfortable and to be able to let loose,” he says. “So if I’m just going for a night out, it would probably be a vintage tee and some good sneakers, maybe if I really wanted to I’d wear some leather pants. Just keep it casual and low-key.”
CONNECT WITH NEW PEOPLE
As well as spending time with people you already know, one of the great pleasures of going off is the spontaneous encounter – whether that’s spilling your life story to a new best friend or something more romantic. Admittedly, Troye Sivan will not have the same experience as most of us when it comes to meeting new people on a night out, on account of literally being Troye Sivan. But he does have some sage advice.
“The hardest part is the first thing that you say, and I would avoid any cringy pick-up lines or anything like that,” he says. Look around and see if there’s something that you notice, or some common thread that wouldn’t feel weird to bring up. Then once you start, you’re off to the races – it’s easy from there. If you can just pluck up the courage to say the first thing, then you’re good.
When I’m getting ready, I refer to my friend Samuel, who’s one of the dancers, because Samuel knows how to get everyone into a really good mood and you never really know what you’re going to get
CURATE A GOOD VIBE WHEN YOU’RE HAVING PEOPLE OVER
There’s something a bit 1950s about the idea of being “a good host”, as though it’s about serving your boss martinis and Jell-O chicken salad in an effort to secure an important promotion. But really, it’s as important a skill today as it’s ever been. Even if you’re just sitting around critiquing music videos on YouTube, you want people to feel welcome when you invite them into your home. Let’s start with one of the thorniest and most contentious etiquette questions: should you ask your guests to remove their shoes? “Absolutely not,” says Sivan. “I respect people who do that and I understand it, but I would rather just spend the extra time cleaning at the end. I think it’s kind of a risk you have to take when you have people over.”
Sivan comes down in favour of serving nibbles, but suggests making a bit more effort than a sad little bowl of tortilla chips with some supermarket dip. “I feel having dinner is good, but nothing too heavy that would make you feel sleepy for the night,” he says. “I would say just a yummy, casual dinner that’s on the table and people can choose whatever they want. That’s a nice vibe and I think you’re setting yourselves up for success.”
WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE IS KILLING THE VIBE
A good vibe can be fragile, something that needs nurturing, protecting and defending like a delicate seedling. Someone being boring is easy enough to ignore, but what if they’re being actively annoying and offensive, saying out-of-pocket things and making other people feel uncomfortable? You hear stories of elaborate schemes enacted to deal with this scenario, like everyone pretending that a house party is over to get rid of an obnoxious guest, leaving en masse and then sneaking back in ten minutes later. But for Sivan, the solution is more simple: hit the bricks. “I wish that I would say that I was confrontational enough to bring it up with them. But the honest truth is I’d probably remove myself from the situation and go and do something else,” he says.
STICK THE LANDING AT THE END OF THE NIGHT
Going off, like all good things, must come to an end. But the party winding down doesn’t have to be a sad affair – in fact, it’s a key stage in its own right. If your energy is starting to flag, Sivan suggests going for food. “Get a kebab – that would be my recommendation. I really, really love a late-night meal,” he says. You’re also going to want to switch to a more mellow soundtrack, music that’s chilled-out and relaxing, maybe even a little downbeat or reflective. “At that time of night, I’d probably switch to Solange or something like that,” he says.
