Troye Sivan spent much of 2025 shuttling between stages on the SWEAT tour with Charli xcx, stepping onto countless award-show red carpets and rarely staying in one place for long. It’s a pace that hasn’t let up when we meet just after lunch at London’s Soho House. Having travelled in from Paris late the night before – at least judging by Instagram – he’s already made an appearance at the Space NK pop-up for his brand Tsu Lange Yor and worked through a string of press meetings.

However, while he hasn’t taken to the stage yet this year, the momentum around music hasn’t slowed. “I’m in the studio a lot now, and I’m feeling really good about it. I’m really excited to make some more music videos.” Days before our conversation, Sivan shared a new entry on his Substack, reflecting on a kind of low-level, ongoing exhaustion – the byproduct of a life lived at this speed. “I’ve always really enjoyed journaling. It’s definitely cathartic for me… I think it’s an interesting one to have a semi-public forum to kind of do whatever on. I grew up on the internet, and I think I’ve been missing something like that – this real sense of freedom and connection.”

It’s this idea of connection that forms the basis of Sivan’s fragrance and homeware brand, Tsu Lange Yor – another focus of his energy over the past year. Launched in 2023 and named after a Yiddish phrase loosely translating to “to long and good years,” the brand leans into ideas of ritual and closeness. Its campaigns often capture couples kissing on public transport, friends entwined on city stoops and shorefronts across different cities. “Community and connection have been evergreen sources of inspiration for me,” Sivan says. “There’s something almost maniacal about how your scent is perceived by the people around you – like spraying your partner’s bed so they can’t forget you.”

Below, Sivan talks all things scent in the first instalment of our new series, No Notes.

What scent takes you back to being a teenager?

Troye Sivan: Lynx Africa.

What scent do you think people associate with you?

Troye Sivan: Hopefully one of my own scents.

What smell reminds you of backstage at a show?

Troye Sivan: Anything metallic, there’s a lot of gear and like WD40 back there.

What did the SWEAT tour smell like?

Troye Sivan: The honest to God truth, and this is not me being funny, it smelled like sweat and poppers. We actually ended up teaming up with Dove, and they basically had deodorant in all the bathrooms, which was funny.

What does “One of Your Girls” Troye smell like?

Troye Sivan: Sage’s Rose.

Will there ever be a “Strawberries & Cigarettes” scent?

Troye Sivan: [laughs] It’s not a bad idea, I've never thought of it, but I don’t think so.

You can have that idea if you want. Is there a particular scent you’re loving right now?

Troye Sivan: Yes, so many. I am often wearing our prototype scents. I also love our The Collection, it has all of our scents in it, and is perfect for travelling. I'm a big fan of the idea of a scent wardrobe. Like looking at my outfit or thinking, what are my motives for the day, am I going on a date? Am I going to sit in a park? Am I going out clubbing and using scent accordingly?

What is your guilty pleasure smell?

Troye Sivan: I think that it’s maybe something that is frowned upon sometimes, but I love a vanilla scent.

Is there a particular scent or candle you burn when creating music? 

Troye Sivan:  We burn our Sassafras candle in the studio all the time, and TY 5755 one. Those two together are what my house and studio smell like.

From 3-30 March, explore the collection in-store at Space NK Oxford Circus and add your portrait to the TLY photo wall