Crush is back with a brand new single, “Rush Hour,” featuring j-hope of BTS. A year after leaving Amoeba Records and signing with P NATION, Crush took a break from creating music to complete his mandatory military enlistment. He featured on a few tracks over the last two years, including “Happier” from PSY’s eighth studio album, however, “Rush Hour” is his first major release since completing his service in August 2022.

“Rush Hour'' was released as a single on September 22 alongside a music video starring Crush and j-hope. The video is set up to mimic a construction zone in the streets of Seoul, complete with vibrant graffiti, yellow taxis, and a “Crush Hour Coffee” coffeeshop. The back-up dancers also sport a variety of fun outfits from popular Korean streetwear to matching blue jogging shirts. The music video itself focuses heavily on dance, making it the perfect feature for BTS’s main dancer. It’s fun and carefree, maintaining good vibes from start to finish.

Following Crush’s signature style, “Rush Hour” uses jazz instruments to create a funky hip-hop beat. It’s more up-tempo than his popular OST ballads and is already making an impact on the charts. “Rush Hour” is undoubtedly an ideal comeback, especially for P NATION. After losing a shocking number of major artists this year alone, Crush’s timing could not have been better for the label. K-Pop fans take note, because “this is Crush hour.”

Aligning with the music video set, “Rush Hour” is about celebrating in the streets of Seoul. Crush mentions walking through UN Village, Hangangjin, and Itaewon. These are all areas in the heart of Seoul, South Korea, north of the Han River. UN Village is a hill in Hannam-dong that houses many public figures and affluent people. Hangangjin is even further uphill, where Hannam and Itaewon meet. It’s a major art hub and offers beautiful views of the city. These lyrics alone showcase Crush’s growing success as a singer-songwriter and producer. He passes through some of the wealthiest streets in Seoul on his way home, but is ready to be back in the studio to continue making music after “two whole years.” j-hope’s rap verse mentions another popular neighborhood, Seoul Forest. It’s where he moved after BTS’s shared apartment contract expired earlier this year. Seoul Forest is the third largest park in the city and is bordered by the river on three sides, making it another expensive area to live in. The song openly commemorates both artists’ achievements since their debut in 2013 (j-hope) and 2014 (Crush), while acknowledging the hard work leading up to this moment. They call on listeners to “gather ‘round like a traffic jam” in celebration of the return of hip-hop and “Crush hour.”

“Rush Hour” is available now on all streaming platforms. If you’re a fan of fun choreography, be sure to check out the music video below to support Crush’s comeback!

Edited by Cara Musashi