Ahead of an IRL briefcase drop on October 2 in LA, we speak to Smirnoff’s ‘Chief Vibes Officer’ about his daily rituals, current reading list, European summer vacation and lessons from turning 30
You may have never heard of International Vodka Day, but apparently, it falls on October 4 each year, and this year, Troye Sivan is hosting. As part of his continued work as ‘Chief Vibes Officer’ at Smirnoff, a totally real position (legally, it’s for promotional purposes), which was announced in November last year, the pop star wants people to take their plans out of the group chat to connect IRL with friends. There will be a briefcase drop taking place in Los Angeles on October 2, where fans (who are age 21+, of course) can piece together cryptic clues shared from Troye and Smirnoff to find the briefcases. In the spirit of community, you need your crew to claim the prizes, which include a personalised video from Sivan and a CVO-mandated weekend in Palm Springs.
If Sivan wasn’t in a faux corporate boss – but very real music icon – he may have been a spy. He says following clues and solving things is right up his alley. Instead, as part of the next instalment of his CVO story in Smirnoff’s latest campaign video with Sivan, released today, we see a glimpse into a day in the life of a ‘Chief Vibes Officer’. In the video, Sivan is monitoring the vibes and measuring the mood at Vibes HQ, an idyllic coastal compound in the sun, kicking off a professional productivity check-in with his office sirens. As it turns out, Sivan is as meticulous about curating and maintaining his vibes in his day-to-day life.
After a transitional summer – where he turned 30 and spent a month vacationing and listening to new music in Europe – we spoke to Sivan about his fond memories of scavenger hunts, current reading list, ‘primitive’ pleasures, daily rituals and lessons from his 30th birthday.
Congrats again on your role as Chief Vibes Officer! What's the hardest part of being a CVO?
Troye Sivan: To be honest, it’s not very hard. It’s a good gig. I just have to make a nice vibe and then, every couple of weeks, a box of vodka arrives at my house. It’s a pretty cushy position.
Do you have any tips for turning bad vibes into good vibes? Or even how you tell the difference?
Troye Sivan: I think that humans are still pretty primitive in what makes us feel good. I think it’s the same things that have been making us feel good for a really long time. So fire, like candles and fireplaces, music and community or being social. Those are the three things that really set the mood for me. I’m a bit obsessive about it. I love doing it in the morning when I wake up. I put on some nice music and light some candles. I also love doing a dinner party.
Do you have any daily rituals that we haven't seen yet in any ‘day in the life’ videos?
Troye Sivan: I read a lot, but I wouldn’t show that in any video. I enjoy reading.
What are you reading right now?
Troye Sivan: I just started Swimming in the Dark. But I read this book called Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux, which was really beautiful. I also read The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis. A really good book.
Humans are still pretty primitive in what makes us feel good... candles and fireplaces, music and community, being social. Those are the things that really set the mood for me
The briefcase drop sounds exciting! What's your earliest memory of a scavenger hunt?
Troye Sivan: I actually do. I remember my school doing a fundraiser once when I was growing up, and doing it with my siblings. It [scavenger hunts] aligns very much with a lot of my interests. I’ve always been interested in spy books and espionage. I’m watching Killing Eve at the moment. It feels fun to be hunting for anything, trying to solve problems. It’s right up my alley.
Do you remember what you were searching for?
Troye Sivan: No, I don’t remember what we were trying to find. I just enjoyed the search. I remember driving around Perth with my mum. She was driving, and we had to roll down the window and speak to people on the street.
What are three things you always keep in your briefcase (or just bag)?
Troye Sivan: Really basic stuff. I have a bit of a thing for hand sanitiser. I keep sanitiser on me, always have mints or chewing gum and balm. I think if you were to lay those three things out on the table and ask whose pocket or bag is this, my friends would be like, ‘That’s Troy,’ because those are my trademark things.
I turned 30 this year, and with that has come a new sense of responsibility to the people around me, but also myself, to just be better. I’m enjoying the accountability that it's brought
What’s your favourite thing to do when you are back in LA?
Troye Sivan: I just got back. When I’m in LA, it always takes me a second to remember how to live in LA. I’ve been living here for a really long time now, but it’s not a very obvious city. You don’t just walk out the door and get hit over the head with a million shops, people and things to do. When I’m in a good groove, it’s always a dog walk to start the day. I love cooking, so I cook a lot and go grocery shopping. Then, a lot of work, meetings and the studio.
How would you describe the vibes of the music that you are listening to and are inspired by right now?
Troye Sivan: I just got back from a month of travel in Europe. I was so inspired by so much of the music I heard. I went out in Berlin and had an emotional response to some of the music that I heard. I saw Rex the Dog live, which was really cool. Then I went to a lot of jazz nights, and went to Copenhagen and heard some incredible music there. I would say I’m catching up and playing a lot of the music that soundtrack my month in Europe right now.
That sounds fun. So, how would you evaluate your year in a performance review? Not your work, your year.
Troye Sivan: So far, I would say really positive. Me reviewing the year, not myself, I would say it’s been positive. I turned 30 this year, and with that has come a new sense of responsibility to the people around me, but also myself, to just be better. I’m enjoying the accountability that it's brought. For all of 28 and 29, I was like, ‘Wow, I’m almost 30’. Now that I’m here, I’m really enjoying it.
The briefcase drop will kick off on October 2 in Los Angeles with clues and hints dropped from Sivan, his crew and from the @Smirnoff Instagram handle.