Memes. They help people flirt. They swerved an election campaign. And now it appears they’ve pushed Drake‘s latest single to the top of the Billboard Charts in the US.
[jwplayer CNmiD99t]
For those of you living under a rock the past week or so (or, alternatively, any of you who – like me – are over the age of 30) Instagram has been awash with people attempting the #InMyFeelingsChallenge, a viral dance challenge set to the opening bars of Drake’s single In My Feelings from his most recent album, Scorpion.
The challenge was started by Instagram/internet comedian and personality Shiggy, who posted a video of himself dancing a little bit to the song on June 30. A post that’s since gone on to gather 5.3 million views.
Five point three million.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkoUbKJhFFz/?taken-by=theshiggyshow
That evolved into a fully-blown phenomenon in the two weeks since it was posted, with scores of people recreating the dance, most often while walking along side a moving car because… well, your guess is as good as mine on that one.
Sis really killed it, she said I don’t care that I’m in front of the DMV #InmyfeelingsChallange pic.twitter.com/t5FAhdGLWX
— Dani (@DanielaRodrd) July 10, 2018
this is the only one ill accept 😂😂#InmyfeelingsChallange @lizakoshy @DavidDobrik pic.twitter.com/L2zBCgGJYU
— jade 🍒 (@baesyerim) July 14, 2018
Do you think Keke loves Frozone??🤔🤔 #InMyFeelings pic.twitter.com/sC2mvI4u55
— Jonathan Mann (@jAmann_13) July 10, 2018
Hell, even Will Smith got on board, climbing a goddamned bridge in Budapest to get it done with a GoPro and a Drone because Will Smith can never just do things the ordinary way.
The whole shebang has culminated in In My Feelings shooting up the Billboard Top 100 charts, knocking Drake’s other tune Nice For What off the number one spot this week (all 25 tracks from Scorpion currently occupy space in the Billboard 100 singles charts because streaming has made everything a giant hellscape, for what it’s worth).
Rather than ignoring the meme’s influence or trying to pass it all off as coincidence, Drake embraced young Shiggy, meeting the internet sensation on the day the In My Feelings topped the charts and – in an Instagram story – boldly proclaiming “man got me a number one record.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlWOwHjnyD_/?taken-by=champagnepapi
So there you go, friends. The power of memes is universal, all encompassing, and omnipotent.
Credit where it’s due, the tune’s a fucking banger, but.
