By Rei Maharaj
April 25, 2025
Musical legend and the “Queen of Country” Dolly Parton once said, “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” For Troy Kristoffer, that path has been everything but smooth. A journey filled with doubt, heartfelt revelation, and the constant pull of pop music. His story isn’t your typical teen-idol narrative and he wasn’t manufactured in a Disney-fied pop factory. No, for his tale we’ve got to back twenty-five years, all the way to a chain record store in Michigan. “Senior year in high school,” he says, voice laced with a reflective warmth, “That’s when it first started bubbling up, this need to be on stage, somehow.”
It was the early 2000s and teenage pop prodigies were a dime a dozen. “I was a little late to the party,” he laughs, acknowledging the slow recognition of his talent. YouTube wasn’t a thing yet and the power to launch any career via social media and the algorithm was still a good decade away, but that didn’t mean we had less stars. On the contrary, some of the most iconic acts were born in this era. From Eminem, Linkin Park, and Britney Spears to Missy Elliott and Green Day. The giants of today were just starting their journeys all the while Kristoffer watched the machinery of the music industry from the other side of the counter. While his peers were already releasing albums and touring, he was stocking shelves and dreaming.
But he was also listening and learning. “Record label reps would roll in with tons of promo materials,” he recalls, “hyping up their artists, inviting us to showcases. I started seeing how the cogs of the business worked, behind the scenes.” Inching along the path to stardom, he began working alongside the music industry, learning how to design posters, generate buzz, build brands—all while working on his own music. It was during this time that he discovered P!nk, an artist who would reshape his understanding of what pop music could be. “A LaFace Records representative came in with a bundle of promotional materials, which included a poster of this woman, this singer with shocking hot P!nk hair and a green face like the Wicked Witch. I was like, “What is this?” And then there’s a matching promo CD for There You Go inside, and I put it in. I was immediately hooked,” he says.
“I like to say that I was a fan of P!nk before anybody else,” he adds, a little defiant. And it wasn’t just her sound at the time, that blend of a catchy R&B pop and rock grit, but her willingness to lay it all bare and buck up against societal expectations while staying true to herself. It was her story that resonated with him, a shared recognition of a flame that burned brightly within. And while Kristoffer’s own journey would take him down a long and windy road—now it’s time for the world to get to know the man behind the music.
“These days,” he muses, “it’s raw. Reactive. A feeling hits – usually it’s anger, let’s be honest – a phrase pops into my head, and I’m off to the races. It’s in the moment, when life’s throwing punches, for sure.”
There’s a pause here; we’re digging deeper and going to someplace a little uncomfortable. “The last few years have been a journey into mental health, exploring how my childhood echoes in the present.” Those echoes, he reveals, are finding their way into his music. “I’m way more…aware? Conscientious? Of those feelings from way back when,” he explains, searching for the right word. “How they’re still playing on loop. So, yeah, songwriting-wise, the past is definitely showing up.”
And in an industry which has been blasted by some of its biggest stars for the relentless hustle and grind culture it creates, Kristoffer’s openness is a breath of fresh air. “It’s hard,” he emphasizes. “Especially in any creative field. I think whether you’re painting, writing a book, or creating music—mental health and art can’t be separated. At least, not in my view. One of the things that I struggle with, and I think a lot of creative people really struggle with is imposter syndrome. I think that’s one of the hardest things for me to balance.”
This internal battle, familiar to many of us, has been a constant hurdle throughout his artistic journey. “I mean, I’ve been trying to record for twenty-five years,” he says in a moment of honest vulnerability. “And ‘Not Going Anywhere’ is my first real release.”
He leans back in his chair, contemplative. “A huge part of that is… I’d get to a point in the studio and just trash it all. Throw it in the garbage. Then, a couple of years down the line, the muse would poke me, and I’d be back in there. But that voice… ‘You’re not good enough. Just quit.’ I hate that voice. I’m really working on that.”
There’s a sense of hard-earned wisdom in his voice. His approach signals a new era of Pop where vulnerability is celebrated and appreciated. And even while he reflects on what doesn’t work, he still seems excited about what does. This is especially evident when he talks about his second single, ‘Mr. Midnight’.
“Fourth version. Fourth time I scrapped everything. I had, like, two or three hundred vocal takes because they all sounded like trash to me. Then I get the final mix from my producer, and it’s like… black magic. I’m like, ‘Who is this guy singing?’ And he’s like, ‘It’s you!’ Hearing it outside the studio,” he marvels, “It’s like someone else is singing.”
And if right on cue, in that same breath he muses, “I just do what I want. I try to shut out that voice that says, ‘Do it this way so people like it.’” There’s an undeniable truth in his words, that perhaps one’s own personal happiness trumps chasing fleeting trends. “If I love it, that’s all that matters,” he states firmly.
It’s this way of talking candidly that draws people toward him. And we’ve seen this before, but perhaps not enough in the decades of pop’s domination — a type of authenticity that listeners today crave.
“Twenty-five years ago, trying to record, there’s no way I would have felt this way. No way I’d have the… confidence? Wisdom, I hate that word, makes me sound ancient. But yeah, twenty-five years of learning that my own happiness is what counts. Of course, I’d love to be a massive success, but I made something I’m proud of. And you know, if ‘Not Going Anywhere’ doesn’t blow up, it broke me through twenty-five years of creative block. I’ll always cherish it for that.”
And then the conversation veers into a topic equally as challenging: collaboration. “It’s so hard,” he admits. “My listening habits are wild. All over the map.” For Kristoffer, whose taste spans different genres and decades, there seems to be a running theme throughout all of this. Creative, Independent, Virtuosos.
“I grew up on Classic Rock—Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, you know? The Beach Boys, that kind of stuff. But I also love today’s pop like Dua Lipa and David Archuleta. And of course, there are my heroes – P!nk, Dolly Parton – a collaboration with them would be a dream.”
Then there’s Broadway, the not-so-secret passion of every musical theater kid. “I fantasize about show tunes, just making a whole album.” His dream collaborator list is filled with people who echo these same kinds of ideas, of pushing boundaries and being unlimited. “Yeah, but I’d love to work with Rina Sawayama, Netta, or Stromae,” he shares. “They’re all musical geniuses. There are so many artists out there I could see myself vibing with.”
And just like a winding road, the topic shifts again, this time to the inner workings of music production. It’s here that the self-doubt seems to fade away. “I’m hands-on,” he asserts, explaining his collaborative yet ultimately decisive role with his producer. “One of the ways I worked through my creative block was by asking for help. My producer is vital in getting this music out there. He’s got free rein to drive, but ultimately I decide the destination.”
The emphasis on respect, understanding one another, and the importance of connection shines through as Kristoffer describes building a working relationship with his producer, Carl. “It makes it so much easier to say, ‘Nope, that’s not it, change it,’” he says with a laugh.
While Kristoffer is loath to participate in trends, he does acknowledge his affinity for “buzzy synths and percussion tracks,” with Lady Gaga’s “ArtPop” serving as sort of a touchstone for what feels satisfying to his ear. He said, ruminating, “I really love that album—it’s the first time I heard that kind of sonic quality.” His embracing of these 2000s-esque sounds, even as he shies away from TikTok dances, adds yet another layer to his intriguing artistic persona. “Isn’t it funny,” he muses, “that I struggled to record music twenty years ago, and now we’re right back in that space?”
As his debut draws near, Kristoffer tempers expectations with a refreshing dose of self-reliance. “Everyone wants success, obviously,” he concedes, “but I try to keep my focus on whether I like it.” The ultimate hope, he says, is to forge an emotional connection, to provide a soundtrack for the highs and lows of the human experience.
And the music? Kristoffer’s debut single, “Not Going Anywhere” is still the sweet, sugar-coated summer fling your earbuds have been yearning for—with just a hint of something spicy. When you peel back the layers in those insanely catchy hooks (that we can’t stop humming) you’ll stumble onto something deeper. A pulsing, raw, unfiltered exploration into the messy, beautiful, and sometimes brutal journey of commitment. It’s light, it’s heavy and everything in-between depending on the listener’s mood.
So picture this: the sun’s shining down on a beautiful day in Orange County, the waves are crashing against the rocks, and you’re escaping the hell that is the 91 into a cool, hazy, blissed-out poolside party. A Mai Tai or Blue Hawaiian is by your side and “Not Going Anywhere” is blaring on the speakers. Now crank that to eleven and watch as the song morphs your sweet siesta into a full-blown rager.
You can find the track on all the usual suspects like Spotify, Tidal, YouTube and more. So go on, dive in. Let the song become the soundtrack to your own personal evolution, your escape from the mundane, or let it be a simple reminder that when you’re sitting in the parking lot that is the 91, all you need to do is turn the volume up and keep driving.
