Where did the Hotline Bling dance come from?
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The Hotline Bling dance comes from the music video for Drake's 2015 single "Hotline Bling". Director X shot it in Toronto, with Drake dancing alone in rooms of colored light. It came out on Apple Music on 19 October 2015, and the dance was a meme within days.
The 2015 video
The "Hotline Bling" video was directed by Director X and filmed in Toronto. Apple paid for it, and it premiered on Apple Music on 19 October 2015. A week later, on 26 October, it went up on YouTube.
On 12 November 2026 the YouTube video had 2,163,619,637 views.
The rooms and James Turrell
The bare rooms, each glowing one color, reminded a lot of people of the light art of James Turrell, an American artist. Many write-ups say the look was inspired by his work.
Turrell himself said he wasn't part of it. In a statement on 21 October 2015, he said he was flattered but had nothing to do with making the video.
The red Moncler jacket
The shiny red puffer Drake wears in the video is a Moncler Maya down jacket. In 2015 it retailed for $1,150.
He only wears it for about the first minute. Later he switches to a grey turtleneck. Our template comes from that first minute, so the red puffer is in every one of his shots.
The song
"Hotline Bling" came out as a single on 31 July 2015 and later became a bonus track on Drake's 2016 album Views. The beat samples Timmy Thomas's 1972 song "Why Can't We Live Together".
It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated 24 October 2015. In February 2017 it won Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Performance at the Grammys.
How the dance became a meme
Within a week of the video, people were cutting Drake's dance into Vines and laying other songs over it. The joke was that his moves seemed to fit any beat. Within days, news sites were running lists of the best ones.
The video also gave the internet one of its longest-lasting memes. Two stills of Drake, one turning away with a hand up, became the two-panel "no / yes" Drake meme, often called Drakeposting. People still use it to show they prefer one thing over another.
The 2026 AI wave
In November 2026 the dance came back as an AI trend. From about 8 November, TikTok and Instagram filled up with tutorials called "how to make the Hotline Bling AI trend".
On 12 November 2026 we counted 28 AI versions from 26 creators on TikTok in one day, plus 27 tutorials and 8 CapCut templates. They all use the same few seconds of the video: Drake in the red puffer in the pink, lavender and grey rooms.
We didn't find a news story or one post that started it.
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
Was James Turrell involved in Hotline Bling?
No. Turrell said in October 2015 that he had nothing to do with the video, even though the rooms look like his work.
What brand is Drake's red jacket in Hotline Bling?
Moncler. The model is the Maya, a down puffer that retailed for $1,150 in 2015.
Is the Drake "no / yes" meme from Hotline Bling?
Yes. The two-panel Drake meme, also called Drakeposting, uses stills from the Hotline Bling video.
What song does Hotline Bling sample?
Timmy Thomas's 1972 song "Why Can't We Live Together".
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 Song: Release Date, Sample and Meme Part"Hotline Bling" is Drake's 2015 single, produced by Nineteen85 on a Timmy Thomas sample. Which lines the dance meme uses, the Cha Cha story, the covers.