What song is in the Hotline Bling dance?
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The song in the Hotline Bling dance is "Hotline Bling" by Drake. It came out as a single on 31 July 2015 and was later added to his 2016 album Views as a bonus track. Nineteen85 produced it, and the beat samples Timmy Thomas's 1972 song "Why Can't We Live Together". The dance itself comes from the music video, released in October 2015.
Who made Hotline Bling
Drake wrote "Hotline Bling" with the producer Nineteen85, whose real name is Paul Jefferies. Nineteen85 also produced the track.
The Hotline Bling sample is Timmy Thomas's "Why Can't We Live Together" from 1972. That's the answer if you searched "what song is Hotline Bling sampled from".
The single runs 4 minutes 27 seconds. It was released through Cash Money, Young Money and Republic.
Did Hotline Bling copy Cha Cha?
When "Hotline Bling" first played on Drake's OVO Sound radio show on Beats 1, it was billed as a remix of "Cha Cha" by the rapper D.R.A.M. Drake has since acknowledged how close the two songs are.
In October 2015, as "Hotline Bling" climbed the charts, D.R.A.M. said he felt he got "jacked" for his record. So when people search "what song did Hotline Bling copy", "Cha Cha" is the song they mean.
"Hotline Bling" isn't built on the "Cha Cha" beat, though. Its instrumental comes from the Timmy Thomas sample, so the two are separate recordings that sound alike.
Why it stopped at No. 2
"Hotline Bling" reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and never made it to No. 1. The Weeknd's "The Hills" held the top spot that October, and then Adele's "Hello" took over.
That's what people mean by "what song blocked Hotline Bling": first "The Hills", then "Hello".
Which part of the song the meme uses
Our Hotline Bling template is 14 seconds of the official music video, from 0:48.6 to 1:02.6. In the album version of the song that's about 0:28 to 0:42. We matched our template's audio against the official audio on YouTube to find the spot. At this point the video is about 20 seconds behind the album version, which is why the two timestamps differ.
That stretch is the end of the first chorus. You hear "that can only mean one thing" twice, with "I know when that hotline bling" in between, and the template ends just as the first verse starts.
The 7-second cut is about 0:31 to 0:38 of the song: one "that can only mean one thing" and one "I know when that hotline bling".
The famous opening, where she used to call him on his cell phone late at night, comes before this part, so it isn't in the template. We only quote these two short lines here. For the full lyrics, play the song.
Where to listen to the full song
"Hotline Bling" is on Spotify and Apple Music. On Apple Music it's listed on Views.
On YouTube you'll find the official music video on Drake's channel and a separate audio upload from Young Money Entertainment. The video is 4:56 long, about half a minute longer than the 4:27 song. So a timestamp from one won't match the other.
Our template uses Drake's own recording, from the music video. We checked it against the official audio, and it's the same recording.
Covers that get mixed up with it
Justin Bieber put out his own version of "Hotline Bling" on 30 October 2015.
Erykah Badu reworked it in 2015 as "Cel U Lar Device", on her mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone. People sometimes search for it as a Hotline Bling sample. It's the other way around: her song is a rewrite of his, not something Drake sampled.
Billie Eilish recorded a cover that came out in 2018 as the B-side of her single "Party Favor". An edited version called "hotline (edit)" came out in May 2023. If you searched "hotline bling lyrics billie eilish", that's the one.
How much does a Drake Hotline Bling Dance video cost?
A 7-second Drake Hotline Bling Dance video costs 5 credits. The cheapest way to make one is the Try pack: $4.99 for 5 credits.
| Length | Credits | Cheapest pack that covers it |
|---|---|---|
| 7 s | 5 | Try · $4.99 (5 credits) |
| 14 s | 15 | Single · $9.99 (15 credits) |
No subscription. Credits never expire, and a failed render gives your credits back automatically.
Questions, answered
What year did Hotline Bling come out?
2015. The single came out on 31 July 2015, and it was added to Drake's 2016 album Views as a bonus track.
What is Hotline Bling about?
An ex who used to call Drake late at night and has since moved on.
Who produced Hotline Bling?
Nineteen85, who also wrote it with Drake.
Was Hotline Bling ever No. 1?
No. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind The Weeknd's "The Hills" and then Adele's "Hello".
Does the AI video have the song?
Yes. Our template keeps the music video's own sound, so the MP4 you download already has "Hotline Bling" on it.
Guides and tips
- How to Make the Drake Hotline Bling Dance AI VideoMake the Hotline Bling Dance AI video from one photo: you take Drake's place in the red puffer, in the real video with its sound. 7 or 14 seconds.
- Hotline Bling Dance Origin: Director X, Moncler and MemesThe Hotline Bling dance comes from Drake's 2015 video, directed by Director X. The red puffer is a Moncler Maya, and the dance was a meme within days.