MA-0025 · first seen 19 October 2015
Drake Hotline Bling
Two panels from a music video: Drake recoils from one thing and approves of another, a template for preferences.
- Status
- ClassicPeaked more than five years ago
- Trend score
- 38/100Estimated
- Change, 90 days
- +2%Estimated
- Peak
- 82Nov 2015
- Years active
- 12Index of 30 or more
- First seen
- 201519 October 2015
Popularity over time
Monthly attention from Oct 2015 to Oct 2026. Hover or tab through the chart for each month.
- First appearance
- Went viral
- Peak
- Decline
Attention index, 0 to 100 on one scale for the whole archive. Estimated from each meme’s key dates, not measured.
About
The music video for “Hotline Bling”, directed by Director X and released on 19 October 2015, shows Drake dancing in a minimalist, brightly lit room. Within hours, the dance clips became GIFs, and two moments in particular became a meme: one in which he turns away in disgust, another in which he nods in approval.
Arranged one above the other, they gave the Internet a universal format for comparing a thing you reject with a thing you prefer. It was parodied on television and in a Super Bowl 50 commercial in February 2016, and remained one of the most reused templates for years.
Origin
The music video for “Hotline Bling”, directed by Director X, released on 19 October 2015.
19 October 2015
Viralization
Dance GIFs spread within hours; the two-panel disapprove and approve format followed.
October 2015
Peak
Estimated peak in November 2015, with parodies on Saturday Night Live.
Nov 2015
Timeline
From the first post to where it stands today.
Origin
The video
Drake releases the “Hotline Bling” video, directed by Director X.
Early adoption
Dance GIFs
The dancing is turned into GIFs and edits within hours.
Viral
Late-night parody
Saturday Night Live parodies the dance, bringing it to a larger audience.
Peak
The approve and reject format
Two moments from the video become a template for preferences.
Decline
Ad campaigns
A Super Bowl 50 advertisement parodies the video, a sign of mainstream saturation.
Current
A standard format
Still the first template many people reach for to show a preference.
Related memes
Chosen by shared era, category, platform and cultural link.
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Stonks
57/100+12%Rising2017Same conversation · Same kind of meme
Distracted Boyfriend
36/100+1%Classic2015Same conversation · Same kind of meme