indie-only navy vinyl version - In the wake of a whirlwind third album cycle – which yielded some of his highest chart showings around the world and a massive tour with frequent collaborator Charli XCX – Troye Sivan revealed that loneliness and a disconnect began to form the longer he was away from home. That introspective depth tempers the party-friendly trajectory that he had built up to on Something to Give Each Other, cooling things down with this fourth set, She's the Best. The first third of the album is deceptively sweaty and hedonistic, as Sivan finds himself still in the club where so much of Something to Give Each Other resides. Diving even deeper into club-friendly dance grooves, the production on these tracks is excellent, especially on the pulsing "Canada Dry" and the Madonna-interpolating anthem "Party." Addictive and hypnotizing, they exhibit a control and focus that wasn't as apparent on their carefree and fun-loving predecessors. Soon enough, however, it's time to leave and go home. That's when he gets vulnerable and the true heart of She's the Best is revealed. These more midtempo, indie-pop offerings – like the playful "Cowboy" and the breezy "Embarrassingly" – will be a welcome return to the familiar for fans of his earlier material. Somewhere in between the soft and the bold, Sivan gets epic on the sparkling "Le Boy" and almost philosophical on "FF." The sweeping "Love So Big It Hurts" is an album standout, swelling atop gorgeous strings and an urgent tempo that is as uplifting as it is rousing. Swinging from dancefloor euphoria to emotional depth might sound like a momentum buzzkill, but the flow makes total sense when experienced in one sitting. So while this isn't as immediate as Something..., it's got a heart and an artistic spirit that suits Sivan's honest musings. Depending on the type of listener, She's the Best has all the makings of becoming the fan-favorite album in his catalog. - Neil Z. Yeung
| A1 | She's The Best |
| A2 | Canada Dry |
| A3 | Party |
| A4 | I Do This For You |
| A5 | Cowboy |
| A6 | Embarrassingly |
| B1 | Le Boy |
| B2 | Sex Star |
| B3 | Troye Meets World |
| B4 | FF |
| B5 | Love So Big It Hurts |
| B6 | Lost Time |
