Troye Sivan just schooled us on the art of the photo dump

Social Media Managers aren't ones to back down from a challenge but let's spare a thought for those attempting to crack the art of the photo dump for a brand feed. I see you: carefully curating a series of multi-media outtakes, each as intentionally carefree as the next, intended to mirror the unhinged yet wholesome moods of your Gen Z target audience. In 2025, these are photo dumps that require an unedited rawness, just blurry enough without being boring. Natively scroll-stopping, yet rigorous enough to withstand the five rounds of internal approvals. Homemade memes that swipe seamlessly into awkwardly-cut videos. Commercially viable and brand safe, yet fitting for what should feel like a Close Friends feed. Exhausted yet? You outta be.

As a millennial marketing ‘girly’, mastering the art of the candid photo dump on my personal socials continues to evade me. This content style wasn't designed for me. Filming for an extra 2 seconds on either side of my content isn't welcome here. Messy outtakes don't land the same when they're actually the result of a clumsy camera drop. Mashing my real-world screenshots (a targeted ad from Bunnings and an electricity bill I keep forgetting to pay) with selfies taken in front of my Zoom-proofed office backdrop isn't the kind of chaotic energy folks are escaping to socials for.

Done right, however, and the Instagram photo dump can fast-track you and your brand to certified authenticity. Unlocking genuine vibes from consumers who demand that their favourite brands are truly on their level. Half bake it, and you may well find yourself on the wrong side of youth culture. Worse, no one with even notice.

Today, Troye Sivan showed us exactly how it's done. The Australian singer-songwriter shared his photo dump from the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards. It opens with a cropped TikTok video, zooming us in on what we can only assume was his most awkward interview from the red carpet. From there, we have an intimate view from his placemat, a pixelated side view of Beyoncé, a handful of group shots where eye contact appears entirely optional, a candid snap of Jaden Smith wearing a Vampire Castle on his head, and a clip of Troye in full fan mode as his bestie Charli XCX performs on the Grammy's stage; presumably airdropped to him from across the room.

As for the caption? Three words: 'best night ever'. No hashtags, no partner mentions, and little to no context. The result? Well, we may as well be part of the touring crew. Fans and new audiences feel in on the joke, we’re ready to return the side eye and remain fairly sure it’s not about us, fully encouraged to flick through the camera roll like we're waking up from an unreal night with the greatest of mates.

Scan the post comments and you'll find a mix of artist friends and loyal fans blowing up Troye's engagement. Forget the GRAMMYs, most of the chatter relates to the screenshot of Benson Boone's age, currently sporting its own 1,268 likes. As I write this, the post itself has accumulated 411,184 likes in 7 hours. That's just short of a 38% engagement rate, organic and climbing. Impressed? You should be.

If you're one of the Social Media Managers currently 10-pages deep in a content approvals deck, I'd recommend popping in Troye Sivan's original post for proof that your carousel doesn't need the brand font added. Step back from the brand colours and don’t you dare hit that hashtag key. 🫣