The video for Drake’s “Hotline Bling” dropped yesterday. As expected, it’s already been gif’d, tweeted, and Tumblr’d by the masses. Because if one thing is certain in 2015, it’s that Drake is the content overlord; he’s a self-aware sentient meme. The video isn’t much more than a series of ready-to-share images, set to a nice background, directed by Director X. But since Drake stars in the clip (which premiered on Apple Music), it’s already become more than the sum of its parts. Is it an instant classic? Is it mediocrity perceived as greatness? Would anyone care if Ne-Yo released the exact same video? These are just some of the questions posed by the video for “Hotline Bling.” Still, the most widely assessed talking point that’s been canvassed from the visual is simple: It involves one man and his want to dance.
By now, you’ve digested the colors. You’ve witnessed Drake’s questionable combinations of clothing (turtleneck, sweatpants, and Timberland boots? Sweet, brah). And most importantly, you’ve been privy to the dance moves that Drake engages in throughout the video. These are the key here. Is Drake an Iranian man dancing at his 40th wedding anniversary? Is he jiving like a Sudanese auntie at a wedding with two phones in her hand? Is he a lush Spanish uncle at the final Siesta throwdown of the year, which happens to be at a wedding? Just take a look at all the tweets that’ve tackled the simple matter of Drake and his dance moves this morning.
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The sheer amount of races, nationalities, and heritages that Drake embodies with the simple set of dance moves in “Hotline Bling” is staggering. Is he Uncle Phil dancing at Carlton Banks’ birthday party? Is he a faded family member at a suburban cookout? Is he a [insert nationality] uncle dancing at an [insert family event]? No, he is not. He is all of these things…
~Drake is Uncle Earth~
You can find Ryan Bassil on Twitter.
