Tune-In Tuesday: Watch Me

Dance songs never go out of style, as there have been dances that still till this day make popular comebacks at parties. There has been the Twist, Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, Macarena, Crank That (Soulja Boy) and the Harlem Shake.  

Let’s talk about the dance song that’s sweeping the nation, Watch Me Whip/Nae Nae by Silento. The unique concept of this song is that this song takes different dances from the past, examples being the obvious Whip and Nae Nae as well as other moves like the “Stanky Leg” and “Superman” from Crank that Soulja Boy.

Now here’s the debate: Is the idea of taking all these dances and combining them into one song a good idea or a lazy one? Is the concept something that comes off as clever or is it something along the lines of cheating. Unpopular opinion? I think it’s a hint of both.

I am that girl on the dance floor who will start a move and then slowly transfer to another one, without even realizing it. But never would I think “Oh, it would be cool to combine the dances!” I give Silento much credit for thinking to put all these popular dance moves into one, because it creates a fun dance environment. You can seriously dance to this anywhere! My friends even danced to this in our lounge around our coffee table on a random Monday night.

However, I understand how others can see it as a copout for actually creating his own song. Did he get the rights to use these dances? Does he even need the rights? Why did he choose to do this? Needless to say, this form of “laziness” really works and combines genius with effortless.  

So whether you agree or disagree, you cannot deny the popularity of this song. So I say join the people dancing in the streets or in your dorm halls, because it’s most definitely an energetic rhythm that’ll keep you busy when you want a distraction!

• dance
• hiphop
• hofstra
• music
• summer