The #Naenae Dance has been bubbling in the underground for a while, and now it’s officially hit the mainstream. Just as I was planning to write about this infectious dance craze, Billboard dropped an article covering the phenomenon. It seems the secret is out about this Atlanta-born dance that’s been impossible to ignore for the past few months. If you’re still catching up, that Billboard piece is a great primer on the #NaeNae dance craze.
Initially, my plan was simply to highlight “Drop That Nae Nae,” the song Billboard noted is gaining serious momentum on Rap/R&B radio. From my own experience tuning into the radio, this track is definitely in heavy rotation, far beyond just DJ mixes. WeAreToonz’s “Drop That Nae Nae” carries that minimalist, Post-Snap vibe reminiscent of the “Crank That” era of 2007-2008, and yes, there’s even a hint of Soulja Boy in the vocal delivery. While it might not reach the iconic status of “Crank That” or its spin-offs like “Crank That Batman” or “Crank That SpongeBob,” “Drop That Nae Nae” perfectly complements the lighthearted and, let’s face it, slightly ridiculous Nae Nae dance that everyone seems to love performing. Could the #NaeNae reach peak mainstream saturation like those dances? One can only dream.
However, the #NaeNae dance already had a kind of unofficial anthem before “Drop That Nae Nae” gained traction. Young Thug’s track “Stoner” was the go-to soundtrack on Vine when the dance first caught my eye a few months back. This hazy, drugged-out track seemed to be the original Vine music of choice for the #NaeNae dance, even before WeAreToonz and others started creating songs specifically for it. Ironically, it was “Stoner,” thanks to its Vine popularity, that became Young Thug’s breakthrough hit, amassing YouTube views and eventually securing consistent radio airplay.
Adding another layer to the Nae Nae dance music landscape, TheyCallMeN8’s “Nae Nae (Hold Up, Show Nuff)” emerges as a Post-Futuristic anthem for the #NaeNae generation. It’s a sonic descendant of that late 2000s Atlanta Futuristic style championed by artists like J. Futuristic, J. Money, and Travis Porter, back when “swag” was the defining sound, characterized by those cracked digital horns and layers of melodies. This musical DNA is shared with Chicago Bop tracks; it’s just a regional variation, a different dance, and perhaps a slightly more audacious denim color palette. It’s a reminder that in rap, while styles evolve, certain core elements and influences persistently cycle back.
