In the 11 years since he catapulted onto the U.S. music scene with his debut album, “Blue Neighbourhood,” Troye Sivan has established himself as a purveyor of pop songs that are sleek, sexy and rife with queer innuendo.

As the Australian singer-songwriter began work on his fourth album, “She’s the Best,” he was eager to capture the “yearning and romanticism” he’s recently experienced as a single gay man. To do so, he reunited with Mississippi-born musician and producer Brett McLaughlin ― known globally as Leland and based in Los Angeles ― who encouraged him to embrace his vulnerable side in ways he’d never done previously.

“It’s an album of yearning, of wanting to find your other half, your partner in crime, and wishing you’d found them sooner,” Leland, who has co-written songs for the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande and Charli XCX, told HuffPost. “The mindset was to challenge ourselves, to excite ourselves, to surprise ourselves and to not make anything we’ve made before. It’s my favorite body of work we’ve ever made.”

Leland co-wrote all 12 songs on “She’s the Best,” Sivan’s most sonically diverse album to date. Sivan described “She’s the Best” to NPR as “a love album to someone I don’t know,” which becomes apparent on wistful tracks like “Lost Time,” performed in duet with Lily-Rose Depp, and “Cowboy.”

Those seeking dance floor euphoria, however, will be thrilled by the buzzy single “Party” ― which boasts a renaissance faire-inspired video with an intro from Ian McKellen ― and “Canada Dry,” rumored to have been inspired by Hudson Williams’ “Heated Rivalry” character, Shane Hollander.

Leland first worked with Sivan on “Blue Neighbourhood,” and credits their 12-year friendship for cementing the gravitas necessary for a creative partnership.

“We would be friends even if we didn’t make music,” he said. “We’ve navigated difficult chapters in life that are personal and that no one will ever know about. Of course we love creating art together, but at the end of the day ... we care about each other as people. We don’t need anything from each other and we’re not wrapped up in playing the game.”

The rollout for “She’s the Best” got off to a strong start thanks to a pair of A-list co-signs. Nicole Kidman has a starring role in the music video for the album’s title track, while “Party” features a sample of Madonna’s 2000 smash, “Music.”

Describing “She’s the Best” as “a love song performed by a gay man to a woman,” Leland said, “I’m surrounded by incredible women, and so is Troye. As we both have been dating people and all of that, it dawned on us that ... as these boys come and go, the through line is powerful, funny, strong women.”

When it came to securing Madonna’s approval for the “Music” sample on “Party,” the process boiled down to “our managers and her manager doing an incredible job,” he explained. This summer, he extended his partnership with the Queen of Pop when he performed a DJ set ahead of her appearance at a “Club Confessions” event in Amsterdam for “Confessions II,” her 15th album.

“I love Madonna and have always wanted to be creative in her orbit, so it was one of those life moments that combined gratitude, appreciation, luck, and a little bit of imposter syndrome,” he said. “It was the most nervous I’d ever been for a DJ set. It felt like I was walking into a spiritual space.”

The release of “She’s the Best” comes amid a prolific year for Leland, who has served as the resident songwriter for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” since 2017. Much of his focus was on film and television, as his songwriting was featured on the soundtracks for the disaster comedy “Stop! That! Train!” and the FX thriller series “The Shards,” co-created by Ryan Murphy.

He also collaborated with 14-time Grammy winner Jack Antonoff on “Caught Myself Believing,” performed by Antonoff’s band, The Bleachers, for the soundtrack of “Practical Magic 2” and featuring Sivan on backing vocals.

Though Leland jokes his 2026 schedule has him “ready to put up the [Christmas] tree,” he’s actively mapping out his next projects. Later this year, he’ll begin work on his first stage musical in New York. He also plans to release new music as a solo artist in 2027, and recently hit the studio with British pop singer Jade for the follow-up to her 2025 album, “That’s Showbiz Baby!”

And like Sivan, Leland is also eager to carve out time to manifest some developments in his personal life.

“I’d love to get a boyfriend,” he quipped, “and have a bit more balance.”

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.