Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
When I saw the video for DLOW’s single Do It Like Me, I thought it was a rip-off of Silentó’s Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae), and it certainly follows the same formula, but 20-year-old rapper/dancer Daryon Simmons has history in this area. Back in 2014, a year before Silentó had his moment, he became known for the DLOW Shuffle, a viral hit song and dance routine that was showcased on the Steve Harvey Show. He’s far outdone that success with Do It Like Me, which has 58 million YouTube views. DLOW launched the track with a well orchestrated marketing campaign, inviting fans to take part in the Bet You Can’t Do It Like Me Challenge, which inspired a Vine and YouTube viral craze. The biggest of the fan videos, by 17-year-old YouTube star King Imprint, has 15 million views. These viral video crazes don’t always translate into chart success, because the song often doesn’t work without the video, but Do It Like Me has reached no.45 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been well-received by US radio, where it just entered the rhythmic top 40.