It’s a question that haunts almost everyone over the age of 30 as they grow older: What exactly are the kids into today?
If you put this question to young people in Japan this summer, the answer appears to be La Bouche’s 1995 smash hit “Be My Lover.” A popular online dance craze sees teenagers — and a few daring adults — busting out moves to a Eurodance track that is in many cases older than those dancing to its brisk beat. Contextually, the moves come from a viral clip by American YouTuber Roy Purdy, while the recent domestic resurgence of Eurobeat led by Da Pump’s “U.S.A.” has perhaps helped fuel interest in the track.
Look more closely at the domestic interest in the dance craze and it’s worth noting the platform that is being used to share the loose-limbed moves. Short-video application TikTok has become something of a petri dish for online youth culture in Japan over the past 12 months or so, with high-school students in particular uploading 15-second clips that sometimes go on to become viral hits.