Queerty: Here’s why Troye Sivan’s sexually charged new music video has Gay Twitter™ in shambles

Listen to this article

Image Credit: “Rush,’ YouTube | Capitol Records

On Thursday, Troye Sivan finally released the music video for his highly anticipated single, “Rush.” The video, which sees Sivan dancing and drinking at the party to end all parties, was an immediate sensation, particularly on Gay Twitter. It already has more than 1.5 million views on YouTube.

Above all else, the video is unabashed in its celebration of queer sexuality, from its censor-pushing shots of bare butts to its plethora of on-camera makeout sessions. One now infamous shot is even framed through a gloryhole.

It’s refreshing, some Twitter users have said, to see a gay pop star celebrate the gritty, sexy side of queerness, when so much modern messaging about LGBTQ+ people sweeps it under the rug in favor of respectability politics.

I know Rush is not really that good but it’s nice to have a gay guy be like “i’m gay because i like being surrounded by hot guys that i want to party and have sex with” and not “i’m gay because I Am Me and That Can Be So Beautiful”

— ?madam sandler? (@VlRTUALBOY) July 13, 2023

people may clown on this but it’s really neat that younger generations get openly gay pop stars like troye and lil nas x https://t.co/9brP3fdpuX

— Stefan (@stefnkap) July 13, 2023

It truly does raise the bar as far as what a gay music video looks like. The internet’s favorite queerbaiter Charlie Puth has some catching up to do.

charlie puth currently sitting somewhere plotting his next move on how to combat the rush music video

— jimmy (@jimmyoutsold) July 13, 2023

But one thing about the “Rush” video caught folks’ attention in a bad way: among every person in the video, from Sivan himself to the countless partygoers he’s surrounded by, there’s barely a shred of body fat to be seen.

“I’m extremely disappointed in the lack of body diversity,” one user wrote. “Fat people party too. Fat people enjoy sex too.”

Troye Sivan’s music video for Rush is fun. It’s Stuart Winecoff’s cinematography on poppers and I love that because I love Stuart’s work and his eye is king in this but I’m extremely disappointed in the lack of body diversity. Fat people party too. Fat people enjoy sex too.

— toñito? (@bouybye) July 13, 2023

Is the onus on Sivan to feature diverse body types in his music videos? It’s a contentious debate: on one hand, Sivan has a massive platform to showcase queer culture, and the picture he’s painting in “Rush” is… homogenous, to say the least. But it’s also his prerogative what he wants to do in his own music video, and who he wants to do it with.

The discourse the Rush video generated is disappointing. The need for exposure to *all* body types isn’t just for those who would feel represented, but also to remind everyone else that *all* bodies can be desirable. I’ve been reading a lot about what’s “normal” and what isn’t.

— Marco ? (@chromedend) July 14, 2023

Of course, among the serious contributions to the discourse, Gay Twitter also jumped at the chance to make fun of the whole situation. Both the video’s casting itself…

The door to the Rush music video set pic.twitter.com/ytPuuhQ67P

— Lucas P. Johnson (@LucasPJohn) July 13, 2023

The weight limit for the Rush video pic.twitter.com/6JoKXSDhEw

— Ben Yahr (@benyahr) July 13, 2023

the music video director for rush pic.twitter.com/IXUCzGuGix

— joe (@joemcry) July 13, 2023

Just watched rush video pic.twitter.com/S9z6cv5ks2

— timmygami eyes (@deliclit) July 13, 2023

rush music video pic.twitter.com/OKRPzIE4kM

— Brooklyn (@bklynb4by) July 13, 2023

rush music video pic.twitter.com/lTJP4dXnbn

— Devin Clark (@devin_clark) July 13, 2023

the casting director for the Rush music video pic.twitter.com/bjtj7hAdGk

— C. (@cstsher) July 13, 2023

troye’s next music video casting call pic.twitter.com/g9oG6yYAme

— bearandon (@evilratperson) July 13, 2023

…and the discourse it created. (Seriously, though, what is twink culture?)

wtf is twink culture?? ?? pic.twitter.com/K3sqhnKmFs

— Brooklyn (@bklynb4by) July 14, 2023

troye won’t see your tweet about lack of diverse bodies in his video but your bear friends won’t either because they’re at bear week. so dont tweet it

— shay kitoff (@_shay_kitoff) July 13, 2023

Is it just me or is everyone in the Rush video too fat?

— Thomas (@capt_thomas1492) July 14, 2023

Others are staying out of the drama and instead taking the song for what it is: a superficial, sexy summer bop. Between Sivan’s new song, which is sure to be blasting at every gay club for the rest of eternity, and Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam,” which dominated Pride Month, Australian pop stars are really coming through for the gays lately.

rush son or padam padam daughter

— Grindr (@Grindr) July 13, 2023

first dj to mash up padam padam and rush wins pic.twitter.com/izj58sJsnd

— sumthing for the summertime (@sumgarf) July 13, 2023

troye sivan the twink that you are…

— zae (@itszaeok) July 13, 2023

I’m glad Troye Sivan making a song for the gays who do ketamine but what about us gays who stay in to fart and play Pokémon

— a rat jumping around the corner looking for a food (@n0thasghey) July 13, 2023

a champion of twink voices and aesthetics i have always been vigorously pro Troye Sivan https://t.co/S2TIFCmk6e

— bearandon (@evilratperson) July 12, 2023