It started with a rhythmic, breathy chant that sounded like a football stadium full of people who had just spent twelve hours in a Berlin basement. Then the bass hit. Hard. When Troye Sivan - Rush dropped in the summer of 2023, it didn’t just enter the charts; it basically kicked the door down and demanded a drink.
Most pop songs are built to be liked. This one was built to be felt.
If you were anywhere near a dance floor in late 2023 or 2024, you know the vibe. It’s that specific brand of "sweaty, kinetic hedonism" that The New York Times actually called out by name. But looking back from 2026, it’s clear that "Rush" wasn't just a fleeting summer bop. It was the moment Troye Sivan stopped being the "Internet's Little Brother" and became a genuine, unrepentant heavyweight in the global pop scene.
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The Story Behind the Adrenaline
The song wasn't just some random studio creation. Troye actually drew inspiration from his own nights out in Melbourne—specifically spots like Sircuit on Smith Street and the legendary (and slightly chaotic) Revolver Upstairs. He told Harper’s Bazaar it was born from that post-lockdown hunger to just be near people again.
He wanted the lead single from Something to Give Each Other to "slap you across the face." It did.
Musically, it’s a house-pop monster. You’ve got these "clumpy high-house" beats mixed with a vocal chant that feels like a collective exhale. It clocks in at a lean two minutes and 36 seconds. Short? Yeah. But it’s designed that way. It’s meant to be a hit of adrenaline that leaves you wanting to hit repeat immediately.
The production team was a powerhouse lineup:
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- Novodor
- Styalz Fuego
- Zhone
They managed to create something that felt both retro (70s Village People energy) and futuristic.
What Most People Got Wrong About the Video
You can't talk about Troye Sivan - Rush without talking about the music video. Directed by Gordon von Steiner and filmed in Berlin, it was a visual feast of skin, choreography, and "wordless communication." But it also sparked a massive online firestorm that honestly overshadows the art sometimes.
The critique? A lack of body diversity.
Critics like Tomás Mier pointed out that for a video celebrating queer liberation, the cast was almost exclusively thin and "chiseled." Vulture went as far as calling it "body fascism." Troye didn't hide from it, though. He told Billboard that they basically just didn't think about it during casting—which was, in itself, the problem for many.
But here’s the thing people forget: while the discourse was loud, the video was also an incredible piece of filmmaking. The "bum-slapping" choreography by Sergio Reis (who has worked with BTS) was hypnotic. It captured a specific, raw Berlin club energy that most pop videos are too scared to touch.
Why the Song Still Matters in 2026
"Rush" didn't just fade away after the summer. It became a permanent fixture in the "Sweat" era, especially when Troye teamed up with Charli XCX for their 2024 co-headlining tour.
The numbers are still kind of staggering:
- Over 1.3 billion streams for the parent album Something to Give Each Other on Spotify.
- Two Grammy nominations (Best Pop Dance Recording and Best Music Video)—the first of Troye's career.
- A Song of the Year win at the 2024 APRA Music Awards.
It also birthed some wild remixes. The version featuring PinkPantheress and Hyunjin of Stray Kids bridged the gap between Western pop, UK garage, and K-pop in a way that felt surprisingly organic. It wasn't just a label-mandated collab; it felt like a genuine expansion of the song's universe.
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The Real Impact on Queer Pop
Before "Rush," queer pop often felt like it had to be "polite" to get radio play. You had the sad ballads or the sanitized empowerment anthems.
Troye went the other way.
He leaned into the "smutty," the sweaty, and the unapologetic. He even confirmed the title was a wink toward a specific brand of poppers. By being so specific and so "unrepentantly horny" (as Slant Magazine put it), he actually made the song more universal. It turns out people everywhere—regardless of who they love—vibe with the feeling of a "2-hour date that turned into a weekend."
How to Revisit the Rush Experience
If you’re looking to get the most out of this track today, don’t just play the radio edit. The Extended Version is where the real magic happens. It gives the beat more room to breathe and includes an outro where Troye talks about "reciprocity."
Actionable Next Steps:
- Listen to the "Rush" Remixes EP: Specifically the Big Freedia remix. It takes the club energy and turns it up to a twelve.
- Watch the Gordon von Steiner "Director's Cut" visuals: If you can find the behind-the-scenes footage, the way they shot the "human tower" scenes in Berlin is a masterclass in practical choreography.
- Check out the "Sweat Tour" Live Versions: The transition between "Rush" and Charli XCX's tracks during their 2024 tour is basically the blueprint for modern dance-pop performance.
The song is a reminder that pop music doesn't always have to be deep to be meaningful. Sometimes, it just needs to be loud, fast, and a little bit sweaty. It’s about the "rush" of being alive, and honestly, we’re still feeling it.