Troye Sivan Reveals Dating ‘Icks’ in Grindr’s ‘Tap or Block’ Campaign

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Pop star Troye Sivan has opened up about his dating preferences and pet peeves in a playful new campaign for Grindr, the popular LGBTQ+ dating app. The campaign, titled “Tap or Block,” features Sivan and his six touring dancers engaging in a game where they “tap” for things they like and “block” for their dating “icks.”

In the campaign, Sivan and his dancers unanimously agreed that “hotel sex” is a definite “tap,” with Sivan joking, “We’d be celibate for seven months, which would be crazy,” referring to life on tour without it. Other preferences included satin pillowcases, good communication, and solid foreplay.

On the flip side, Sivan and his dancers were quick to “block” certain behaviors, such as taking nude selfies next to objects for scale, which they described as “performative.” Body hair sparked a more divided response, with Sivan admitting that while “super hairy” guys are “kind of hot,” he finds it off-putting when someone has clearly shaved “all over.”

The campaign, which pays homage to Madonna‘s iconic 1991 documentary *Truth or Dare*, was directed by Charlie Wilson and produced by Juxtapose. Wilson explained that the concept emerged organically, blending Sivan’s pride in his tour and close relationship with his dancers with Grindr’s boundary-pushing, sex-positive brand.

“What was really fun about this idea is it came around really organically,” Wilson told *Deadline*. “Once we had Troye’s interest and Grindr’s interest, it seemed like such a natural segue.”

Tristan Pineiro, Grindr’s SVP of Brand Marketing and Communications, credited the campaign’s inspiration to Madonna’s *Truth or Dare*, calling it “a true awakening for so many of us.” He added, “Seeing gay people in mainstream media, talking about sex and intimacy was unheard of. So, when this opportunity with Troye, one of the biggest gay global icons, came up, Madonna’s impact was definitely something we wanted to pay homage to.”

Sivan, who is currently on his global *Something to Give Each Other* tour, also collaborated with Charli XCX on a joint tour that began in September 2024. The pop icon expressed his enthusiasm for the campaign, stating, “Dating and hooking up can be complex, sexy, messy, intoxicating, and confusing. I love how Grindr and this campaign celebrate all of this with humor, honesty, and through community.”

In addition to the campaign, Juxtapose has allocated $25,000 from its proceeds to support actor and writer Daveed Diggs‘ upcoming short film, *I'm Gonna Kill You*, a gay erotic thriller set in a post-apocalyptic all-male colony. The film, which explores the perils of monogamy, is set to begin filming in May 2025.

The *Tap or Block* campaign continues to spark conversations about dating norms and preferences within the LGBTQ+ community, blending humor and authenticity in a way that resonates with Grindr’s global audience.