Why You’re Hearing and Seeing Drake’s New “Toosie Slide” Everywhere

Why You’re Hearing and Seeing Drake’s New “Toosie Slide” Everywhere

As if on cue, Toronto’s “unofficial” spokesperson Drake has slid back into the social media spotlight with the release of his new music video for his song, “Toosie Slide.” Created from the biggest social media platform out there with over a billion uses, TikTok, Drake chose to name his new song after a popular TikTok influencer who released a video dancing to the new Drake song. A modern day, “Cha, Cha Slide,” in the age of the coronavirus pandemic, Drake chose the right time, environment, and video production for the release of the “Toosie Slide.” Drake’s new song’s skyrocketing popularity had online critics questioning the rapper’s intentions with the timing and message of the video.
 

What Is the Toosie Slide?

 
The song itself is just as catchy as Drake’s previous singles and comes with instructions, “It go, right foot up, left foot slide, left foot up, right foot slide, basically, I’m saying either way, we ’bout to slide.” Drake’s new song and dance was produced with the intention to be the next viral TikTok dance trend. Drake then took the next step and created a music video to accompany the song, but the intention of the music video comes out a bit murky.
 

The Toosie Slide Music Video

 
The quarantine-themed music video followed Drake around his newly finished mansion showcasing a home that looked hard and shiny – just like cold, hard cash. But there were few people there with Drake showing that he too is following quarantine regulations with an empty pool, bar, lounge area, and so many more rooms that you could get lost in without anyone finding you out due to the vastness of his mansion. The rapper dons a face mask while he performs for the camera and ends the video on his gigantic rooftop with fireworks to conclude.
 

Why Is the Toosie Slide So Popular?

 
For those of us out there who haven’t quite grasped the magnitude of TikTok’s influence, the fact that the social media influencer, Toosie, shared and danced to a popular rapper’s music was a big deal. The userbase for TikTok is mainly Gen Z’ers who are between the age of 16-24. And Drake directly released his song catered to his young fans’ tastes using the high activity of TikTok and lyrics with easy-to-follow instructions for video challenge purposes. Generating popularity was made easy with the combined influence of Drake, Toosie, TikTok, and YouTube.
 

Was Drake Being Tone-Deaf?

 
The Toosie Slide was a way for Drake to show solidarity with others during the pandemic, but it also showed his pricey mansion during a time where people have lost jobs en masse. And as Toronto’s “unofficial spokesperson,” it seems to be in poor taste to set the video in Toronto since Drake has never really “been there” for his city outside of supporting the Raptors.

But then the question rises of how much responsibility celebrities even have to take. Drake’s new song and dance did give his city something in the end – a new viral video trend and another distraction in the midst of social isolation.

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