Troye Sivan releases 'Party' with Madonna sample and Ian McKellen narration

Troye Sivan has released “Party”, the second single from his forthcoming album “She’s the Best”.

The song arrived with a full video. The album is due out on 9 October, according to Billboard.

“Party” draws on Madonna’s “Music”. That song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the United States singles chart. The sample puts a familiar late-2000s dance pulse under Sivan’s vocal.

The video goes back much further. Sivan appears as a knight in shining armour in medieval times. It was filmed at a castle in Berkeley, England.

Sir Ian McKellen opens the video. He provides voice-over narration at the start of the clip. His voice sets up the story before the song begins.

The video was directed by Gordon von Steiner. He has worked with Sivan several times before. His past credits with the singer include “Got Me Started”, “One of Your Girls” and “Rush”.

That last collaboration brought awards attention. “Rush” earned Grammy Award nominations for both von Steiner and Sivan for best music video.

McKellen and Sivan also have history. They first worked together when Sivan was 14 in a Perth production of “Waiting for Godot”. Years later, the pair appeared together on the cover of Attitude in 2018, according to Attitude.

“Party” follows the album’s title track. “She’s the Best” was the first offering from the record. “Party” is the second.

The credits are crowded. The song was written by Sivan, Leland, Tyde Mellet, Rob Feher, Kaelyn Behr, Elvira Anderfjärd, Tove Burman and Luka Kloser. It was produced by Mellet, Feher, Behr and Sivan.

What makes this stand out is the mix of eras. A 2000 chart-topper, a medieval setting and a stage veteran come together around a pop release with an album three weeks away.