The rap world is getting hype for Her Loss, Drake’s most recent album in collaboration with 21 Savage. The majority of fans have given high ratings to this album and reviews are largely positive. All of this excitement over Drake had me thinking of the songs throughout the years I’ve loved from the rapper as well as a lot of his terrible dancing.
While even dudes that pretend not to cry secretly jam out to “Passionfruit,” Drake’s dance moves aren’t as consistently praised as his songs. Like that weird half-pirouette in the “Hotline Bling” video? Um, what? When he bends at the knees and brushes his feet to that elevator music-inspired beat? Oof.
So yeah, it’s no secret that Drake is not on the same level as Usher and Bruno Mars. But we still love watching him bust out these dusty moves in music videos and skits. Here are some of the most memorable Drake dance moments in anticipation of him creating some for Her Loss.
Toosie Slide
It goes:
- Right foot up
- Left foot slide
- Left foot up
- Right foot slide
- Basically, he’s saying, either way, we’re about to slide
Yeah, this is obviously one of the most memorable Drake dance moments because he made up his own dance. And, unsurprisingly, it went viral and inspired a TikTok challenge. That doesn’t really speak to if the dance is any good, however. And honestly, it’s a bit lame — but that’s part of the fun. While some talented dancers definitely stepped it up, the dance itself was simple and accessible to basically everyone.
Hotline Bling
The “Hotline Bling” music video went viral not because of the visuals or the catchy tune — but because of Drake’s dad-inspired dance moves. From the lazy man’s salsa to a weird Bollywood-inspired head bobbing move, the video is full of semi-uncomfortable-to-watch little jigs where Drake doesn’t even look to be on rhythm to his own song. But what makes it work is Drake’s confidence while doing these strange grandpa-at-a-wedding dance moves. He makes it look cool. Almost. Okay, not really. But we’ll never forget.
SNL’s Awkward Slumber Party
With his hideous brown sweater, bad mustache, and dorky glasses, Drake stars as a dorky dad in this SNL skit. Quite fitting. During one part of the skit, Drake starts dancing awfully to some of his kid’s music. The joke is that the dancing is very, very bad (which doesn’t stop one of the girls from drooling over him) but does it really look that much different from his dancing in the previous videos? The only difference is really his dated haircut.
Falling Back
The album Honestly, Nevermind is proof that no amount of trolling can bring Drake down. The entire album is a love letter to dancing, a blend of dancehall, Afrobeat, and house. The music was quite different from Drake’s previous albums, but it was clear that he created these infectious, upbeat songs for his own enjoyment and out of passion.
Still, his dancing in the video for “Falling Back” is quite jarring. While Drake made this album with dancing in mind, his moves during this less traditional wedding are very cringe. The most memorable moment for me (and not in a good way) is when he has a napkin in his mouth while flailing his arms around as one of the wives twerks on him. Like what?
HYFR
This video told the story of Drake’s decision to get “re-Bar Mitzvah’d” to reconnect to his Jewish faith back in 2011. The video has footage of Drake dancing as a child — and he’s surprisingly a lot better back then. Other highlights of the video include some Jewish dudes menacingly pouring Manichevitz, DJ Khaled nodding his head to Drake’s dvar Torah, and Lil Wayne getting super hyped at the after-party. Of course, Drake’s dancing is also present in the video and it’s much worse than the clips of him as a kid.
Drake vs. Chris Brown Dance battle
Chris Brown is known for two things: abusing women and being a good dancer. So it’s no surprise that the controversial rapper was much better at dancing than Drake in this one-sided battle. But when it comes to entertainment, Drake definitely won. He comes out hot doing the snake — literally just holding his arm in the shape of a snake. Then he does a Mortal Kombat finishing move, leaving the crowd grimacing in pain from the cringe. But Drake’s ability to make fun of himself and his self awareness most definitely gave him some points in this battle.
Are There Any Dances for Drake’s Her Loss?
Not yet, unfortunately.
It will be interesting to see what dances come out of Her Loss. For now, however, we’re cracking up at the new TikTok trend where people imagine how Drake looked in the booth during Rich Flex. It’s safe to say most of these people have better dance moves than the rapper himself. Still, do your thang.