Since the global wave of Psy’s “Gangnam Style” has died down
somewhat, another craze, called the “Harlem Shake,” has gone viral, and
parodies of it are all over YouTube. 2AM’s Jo Kwon, f(x)’s Amber, and
Miss A’s Min have joined the trend.
It is well known that the three K-pop stars are close friends. On
February 19, they gathered at a studio with some other friends and
created a parody of the “Harlem Shake” of their own. Their video was
uploaded on YouTube on the 20th.
The “Harlem Shake” syndrome involves people uploading videos of
themselves dancing bizarrely to the beat of “Harlem Shake,” by the DJ
Baauer of New York. It does not have fixed dance steps like those of
“Gangnam Style,” but it generates lots of laughter as participans shake
their bodies randomly, dressed in funny costumes.
Jo Kwon, Amber, and Min appear first, doing their own moves quietly
and then give a passionate dancing performance to the rhythm of the
music. The highlight of “Harlem Shake” parodies is when everyone joins
together in a maniacal dance after one person does a slow, funny dance
at the beginning of the clip.
Jo rests comfortably on a sofa while Min concentrates on her laptop
and Amber plays the keyboard. Then all of a sudden, all three of them
begin to dance like maniacs, creating a very funny scene.
Currently, lots of different “Harlem Shake” videos get uploaded every
day, just as happened with “Gangnam Style.” Many pop stars around the
world, including Big Bang’s G-Dragon, have shown their interest in it.
The craze is by no means limited to celebrities: many ordinary people
are getting into the act in places like fitting rooms, subway stations,
and bus stops and are uploading dozens of videos every day. The number
of hits on such clips is increasing as well.
