Before “In My Feelings” took over the Internet and disturbed traffic, viral dance crazes have been around since the mid ’00s. These are mostly borne out of listening to catchy songs and eventually copying the interesting—sometimes funny—dance steps. Soon enough, videos would flood social media feeds and even the news where people put their own spin on them. These spread even more when celebrities do the so-called “challenges.”
Of course, not all dance crazes last forever. They die down after a few months and oftentimes replaced with the next best thing. That said, let’s take a look at some viral dances before the “In My Feelings” challenge got on.
BBoom BBoom
When it started: 2018
Momoland’s hit track can be heard everywhere from birthday parties to variety shows in the Philippines. Even celebrities like Liza Soberano and Yassi Pressman showed off their “BBoom BBoom” steps on stage. We can’t blame them, the tune is poppy and infectious. Plus, the rise in K-pop’s popularity worldwide made the song a viral hit—as of writing, it has over 221 million views on YouTube.
Nae Nae
When it started: 2015
I remember when this song spread like wildfire back in college. “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” by Silento is a dance hip-hop song that spent six consecutive weeks on Billboard Hot 100’s #3 spot. Some notable Filipino celebrities who performed this dance were Kathryn Bernardo, Ruru Madrid, and Marian Rivera. Overseas, then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton showed off her moves on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Harlem Shake
When it started: 2013
“Harlem Shake” was a wild dance craze. The trend started thanks to Filthy Frank’s (now known as Joji of 88 Rising) video where he danced stoically in the first few seconds and when the beat dropped, they just wiled out. This was picked up by other people, including celebrities like Ed Sheeran, Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner.
Gangnam Style
When it started: 2012
Psy’s “Gangnam Style” was the first YouTube video in history to hit one billion views. The funny and surreal music video was made more interesting by the horse riding-like dance steps. Business Insider said that it was this generation’s version of “Macarena.” Psy also told Ellen DeGeneres that the dance isn’t as easy as it looks because you need proper hand-eye coordination to pull this off. “The mindset of this dance is to dress classy and dance cheesy,” he said. To this day, you’ll still hear this song being played in public.
Soulja Boy
When it started: 2007
Recently, I’ve been seeing some people making Soulja Boy memes again because of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s “You” tweet. But if you were hooked on TV or radio in 2007, you’d know how viral this dance got. In fact, “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” peaked at #1 on Billboard Hot 100 that year. Guess a lot of people found the rev-up-the-motorcycle move entertaining.
Macarena
When it started: 1993
“Macarena” is one of those dance songs that never really died. Admit it, people still groove to this when it comes on the radio or when a DJ plays it at a party. It’s so popular that there various remixes are created throughout the years. “Gangnam Style” may have taken its pedestal as an infectious hit, but people somehow still go back to this one.
Art by Marian Hukom
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