Fresh off shock-collar torture on The Idol, Troye Sivan has just released his new song “Rush,†a title meant to invoke both the feeling of poppers and dancing with someone hot, along with an accompanying music video bursting with gay smut. With the king twink fully pivoting to sex — the single is the first offering from his upcoming album, Something to Give Each Other (out October 13), which features a cover of Troye’s head between the legs of a twunk — tensions are running high in Vulture’s Pride section over whether this song is actually any good. So we decided to get one gay who remembers the release of Kylie Minogue’s “Locomotion†and another gay who is too young to remember the release of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head†to debate whether this track is actually a Bop or Flop.
Choire Sicha: Jason, where were you when you woke up and first heard the new Troye Sivan? Did you recognize your surroundings?
Jason P. Frank: I was in my bed, hungover from being at the premiere party for the new Real Housewives of New York — in other words, in the perfect state of mind for this song. I also listened to it before watching the music video, and I’ve gotta say, it’s much better with the visuals. This is a song meant for partying through the heat, for doing a substance or two, for turning the dance floor into a make-out sesh. That has a place in our society! The twink has turned out a bop.
CS: While I am in support of all twinks and sleazy summer music, my immediate response was revulsion. Here are the top things I hate about this song: The retro, clumpy high-house chaka-chaka beat; the ’70s Village People backup chorus anthem singing; the overproduction of his vocals into pure Jocelynism; the whooshy club bridge sound effect. We already have two great summer albums in Janelle Monáe’s chest-forward fiesta and Amaarae’s impeccable Fountain Baby. Yet this thing feels clunky. The historical mining isn’t new, it’s dusty. Or maybe those are just my OLD EARS. Speaking on behalf of all younger people, Jason, is this what you want to inhale drugs to?
JPF: I truly don’t mind the vintage nature of this track. To me, this song feels like a Tom of Finland drawing became music. Yes, it has a Village People quality to it, but I also think it’s interesting to see what happens when you streamline the camp of our gay tracks of yore and reduce them down to one singular emotion (horny). Troye’s recent career moves, at least since 2018’s Bloom, have been about sexuality. And I don’t mean in the love is love manner, but in the Can I get my major record label to put out smut? manner. He’s been pushing it for a while now — “Bloom†used a floral metaphor to allude to bottoming, while “Stud†had him singing about sexual attraction through the fog of envy. But this is the first time I’ve seen him delivering straight-ahead lust. I feel like the music video is a big part of this whole moment, though. Choire, separate from the song, what did you think of it?
CS: I do again want to say for the record that I am rooting for Troye. But the video has all the subtlety of a 1990s Calvin Klein campaign. It’s a return to body fascism and emaciation — two gay tastes that actually never went out of style. Eat something, stupid twinks! So no, it doesn’t make me like the song more. It doesn’t feel transgressive. It feels like Twink Marky Mark. I mean, on the fourth listen you start to enjoy it, but I would rather hear Jessie Ware on the dance floor. My husband just walked in, and I said, “This is what the kids are allegedly listening to.†And within ten seconds he said, “It’s coming from that stupid TV show we didn’t like,†which is very insightful! Anyway, what is the measure of a bop? Are you going to get your ass off the wall in the club (Is that still a thing??? I don’t know!) and dance up on somebody to this?
JPF: I plan on it! It’s funny — even though you hate the song, if you said your observations in a nice voice to Troye, he’d be like, Yeah, that’s exactly what I was going for. But it’s also notable that none of the replacement artists you’ve mentioned — Janelle, Amaarae, Jessie — are men. I think that speaks to Troye’s position in the culture. He’s one of our biggest flop stars (alongside Charli, Tove Lo, Sky Ferreira, etc.), by which I mean he’s an artist making pop music that isn’t necessarily popular, and he’s pretty much the only boy in that scene. It feels like part of the reason Troye misses out on the spotlight is because he’s gay and unwilling to create the kind of watered-down camp that his queer peers are using to gain attention (hi, Sam Smith). Which is why it’s been nice, as his career has progressed, to see him embrace his flop stardom. If he’s never going to be an arena artist, he might as well make things gayer, sexier, and weirder than they would.
Choire, since you made me speak for my entire generation, I think it’s only right that I make you speak for yours — looking at Troye, whose career could really only exist in the time it’s currently existing, do you see a lineage from a twunk George Michael to a twink Troye?
CS: Hmm. Honestly, this doesn’t feel much different than the ’80s really. It was a gayer time even though all of you are gay now. It’s funny; you’re talking about a group of artists whose medium in pop music is all about fame. (That’s true of Kim Petras too.) It’s the post-Gaga crowd. (And it’s why I love Charli.) Their work is insisting that pop-music bangers are supposed to be a certain way. That’s cool. But people who are more contemptuous of that system are much more interesting to me. (Perfume Genius, in particular, who is like “SURPRISE, here’s an ART HOUSE ALBUM for and about CONTEMPORARY DANCE.â€) I dunno, it’s been a great 11 months for music by and about the club. I guess Troye can get his three minutes on the dance floor on Saturday night, too. Boys just want to have fun. I’ll give you the last word with one final question: What New York club would I go to if I wanted to hear this and have a good time?
JPF: Well, I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite club in New York, but the Rosemont is basically the promised land of art twinks, so that’s probably a good bet. It would be this song in its natural environment. Alternatively, you can just go wherever Ty Sunderland is and dance with his following of demon twinks. Either way, you’ll be getting an immersive experience where it feels like you’re in his music video, which is pretty much the point of this whole song.