At midnight, Drake released a music video for his new song, “Toosie Slide.” In the video, shot by frequent OVO photographer Theo Skudra, Drake takes us on a walking tour through his Canada mansion, stopping to pay homage to the late Kobe Bryant via two laid-out Laker jerseys, KAWS statues, an original Warhol painting, and a large marble kitchen island.
The scene, while it may have more props, is familiar: it’s empty, there are a couple roommates, and everyone involved seems bored. Like us, Drake is pacing throughout his house, shrugging, shaking his head, and waving around his hands, because what else can you do? Despite the large indoor pool, the wardrobe change, or the fireworks display at the end: Drake appears bored, and this is one of the few ways that his audience can relate to an otherwise unrelatable man who recently had his $185 million dollar private Boeing jet redesigned by Virgil Alboh.
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There’s a mixed message in the song: the refrain of “Toosie Slide” is a set of instructions on how to do an Electric Slide-Hokey Pokey hybrid dance, along with a reference to a firearm concealed in a fanny pack, two decidedly Old things to do. But the song is also obviously meant to go viral on Tik-Tok, the digital hangout of choice for teenagers.
The ‘Toosie Slide’ dance is wildly simple, as if a focus group decided to cast the widest net possible, as to not alienate the rhythmically challenged subsection of Drake fans. The song is named after Atlanta-based dancer, producer, and influencer Toosie, who himself is a very talented body mover, who choreographed the dance along with other artists Hiii Key, Ayo & Teo, as reported by Rolling Stone. The talents of these four cannot be surmised from Drake’s music video, similar to how Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants are probably good, but you wouldn’t know from the sandwich place with his name on it at JFK.
The release is a good heat check on the viewer’s level of Drake fandom. Was this a savvy move, designed to have Tik Tok going crazy within days? (If so, it’s inadvisable to name drop Michael Jackson in a song designed to go viral on an app for teenagers.) It appears more likely Drake is just bored, and trying to get some more teen phone numbers.
