Going home for the holidays, at least for me, always feels like a foray into the tunnel of nostalgia. Besides the shocking bombardment of family portraits besides the fireplace (braces are never a good look on anyone), there are various relatives ready to feed you as though you are about to begin hibernation for the winter. This nostalgia took an even more significant turn for me this Thanksgiving looking through old assignments I did in primary school. One, a type of questionnaire document, asked my six-year old self what my favorite song was. Being the music buff I am now, I was anxious to know my answer until I looked at what I had actually written. Turns out my favorite song in first grade was none other than “Macarena.” Despite the horror I felt at my lack of musical sensibility as a child (I mean, I’m pretty sure the only words I knew to that song were “HEYYY Macarena”), I could understand where my failure lied. Despite their usually nonsense lyrics and eventual one-hit wonder status, there seems to be something about songs that include their own dance moves that has a gripping allure on the public. Maybe it’s the fact that it gives motion-challenged folks a free pass for dancing (“he’s not a bad dancer, he just has trouble moving in the complex way the stanky leg requires”). Maybe it’s the subliminal way they have been streamed into our heads at every wedding, birthday and bar/bat mitzvah. Whether it’s the reasons listed or something else, there’s no doubt these songs exist pretty deep into the cultural zeitgeist. So here’s a playlist that encompasses a good portion of them– be warned though, it will most likely make even the most awkward dancer try to bust a move.
“Crank Dat Soulja Boy” – Soulja Boy
“Electric Slide” – Marcia Griffiths
“Cha Cha Slide” – DJ Casper
“Cotton Eye Joe” – Rednex
“You’re A Jerk” – New Boyz
“YMCA” – Village People
“Teach Me How to Dougie” – Cali Swag District
“Movin’ Like Bernie” – I.S.A.
Photo Source:
http://www.datzhott.com/2010/07/24/cali-swag-district-ft-jermaine-dupri-red-cafe-bow-wow-b-o-b-%E2%80%9Cteach-me-how-to-dougie-remix%E2%80%9D/
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