Charli XCX defends Troye Sivan over lack of body diversity in his Rush video

17 July 2023, 16:47

Troye Sivan says he was nervous to shoot his album cover

By Sam Prance

Troye Sivan's 'Rush' music video has been criticised for only featuring slim, muscular and skinny body types.

Charli XCX has commented on the backlash surrounding the lack of body diversity in Troye Sivan's new 'Rush' music video.

Last week (Jul 13), Troye Sivan released 'Rush' as the lead single from his third studio album Something to Give Each Other. Co-written with his longterm co-writer Leland, Troye has described 'Rush' as "the feeling of kissing a sweaty stranger on a dancefloor." Filmed in Berlin, the music video sees Troye and various queer performers club, dance and kiss each other.

Fans have praised the visual for being unapologetically queer. However, 'Rush' has also faced criticism for only having slim and muscular body types in the video. Now, Troye's close friend and collaborator Charli XCX has defended him on Twitter.

READ MORE: Troye Sivan was catfished by hackers pretending to be Greta Thunberg

Troye Sivan - Rush (Official Video)

In response to the video, Rolling Stone writer Tomás Mier tweeted: "I adore Troye Sivan, but this “Rush” video is making me feel some type of way. It seems like a case study on how white gays choose to view queer people as a whole. There’s not a single fat person in the entire video. Just white twinks and chiseled bodies." The conversation also went viral on TikTok.

People have also defended Troye. One fan tweeted: "People on here are acting like Troye’s body type is at the pinnacle of gay attractiveness when all I’ve ever seen is literally hundreds of tweets calling him a skeleton. Men get body dysmorphia due to fear of being “too skinny.” It’s often considered unattractive."

Noticing the discourse, Charli wrote: "i feel like we live in a world where audiences feel like expression or art isn’t worth their time unless it appeases every single unspoken requirement. IT IS SO BORING. if something breaks common aesthetics it’s “weird” or “try hard” if something conforms it’s “offensive” and “not diverse enough”. What a boring discourse."

In response to Charli, a fan replied: "its not really unspoken isnt it? the lack of body diversity in music videos about erotism has always been criticized... makes you think what was the casting criteria for those videos and what r u pushing as an artist ... that erotism is only available to twinks? lol"

However, Charli then doubled down on her original tweet by writing: "actually Sam Smith has made a load of great music videos/performances that play with the topics of eroticism and sex and sexiness with very diverse casting and they have been heavily criticized for doing so."

Charli ended by tweeting: "so basically what I'm saying is - no one can ever successfully make art for everyone in this current world, nor should they try to."

As it stands, Troye is yet to engage with the discourse. Troye personally suffers from a mild form of Marfan syndrome which is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue. People with Marfan syndrome tend to be skinny. In the past, Troye has called out people for saying he is "too skinny" and commenting on his body weight.

People have also argued that Troye's video is more emblematic of the industry as a whole in which most pop music videos tend to lack body diversity.

We shall update you if and when Troye responds to the 'Rush' criticism.

Read more Troye Sivan news here:

• Troye Sivan had a very awkward run in with a fan at the sexual health clinic
• Troye Sivan hilariously rejects Tyler Oakley's offer to collab and it's savage
• Troye Sivan drags "invasive" interview asking him if he's a "top or bottom"

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