Only dads make viral TikTok dances now
Only dads make viral TikTok dances now
Gen X and geriatric millennials are making moves on the app.
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Finally, a TikTok dance I can actually do myself. —Kate
People are beginning to notice that TikTok's viral dances have recently given way to vlogging and other lifestyle videos. But some users are still grooving on the app—it's just Gen X and geriatric millennials. The latest craze is dad dancing.
Well, dad dancing plus drones, with a heavy pour of Justin Bieber.
On July 28, creator David Allen (@ToTouchAnEmu on the app), posted his own version of Max Taylor's dance video for “STAY” by The Kid LAROI and Bieber. Taylor’s original video has almost 59 million views. While he may not have Taylor's exceptional physique, Allen wrote, he does have a drone. Would that be enough to drum up as many views?
Apparently yes. At 57.6 million views, Allen’s video kicked off a viral trend that combines the dance moves of a dad listening to Steely Dan at a house party with the kind of camera work normally reserved for millionaire pop stars. The result is collabs with people like Bella Poarch and tributes by people like Dr. Phil.
This isn’t Allen’s first video premised on fancy camerawork. He tried similar stunts with other TikTok hits, like “Touch It” by Busta Rhymes and “Unlock It (Lock It)” by Charli XCX. While those videos did well—Charli posted her tribute on her Instagram Story—it wasn’t until “Stay” that Allen’s TikTok popularity exploded.
According to a comment by the creator, he had around 500,000 followers at the time of his first “Stay” video. Less than a month later, he’s at 4.8 million.
My favorite part of this trend, other than it just being undeniably wholesome, is how it’s being reimagined by other users. One, who goes by the username @egukin0, has taken the dance to public places around Korea, much to the befuddlement of passersby. Vector, a creator who exclusively cosplays as the Despicable Me character of that name, also took a stab at the video with a 360 camera. There’s also ... whatever this is.
While this trend is decidedly harder to recreate without access to some kind of elevated camera equipment, it promises millions of views if you are able to pull it off. Just make sure you attempt it before Bieber himself puts an end to it with his own version.