Skip to main content

Drone dancing becomes TikTok’s top video of 2021

We’re at the end of the year, which means social networking platform TikTok is ready with its list of top videos that make up some of 2021’s biggest moments. And sitting pretty at No. 1 is David Allen’s viral dance video to Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay,” filmed with a DJI Mavic Pro Platinum drone.

The video shows Allen, a Texas-based photographer, shaking his butt to the pop music soundtrack while the drone circles around him. This simple but fantastic idea of dancing with a drone has gotten Allen, whose handle is @totouchanemu, around 314 million views and 44 million likes since the video was first uploaded to TikTok on July 28.

Drone dancing may have made Allen a TikTok superstar with more than 8 million followers, but the content creator says he doesn’t really understand why the video exploded in the way that it did.

Also read: All-star team of robots celebrating Christmas is the best thing you’ll see today

Allen says one of his favorite content formats is to find a popular video and replicate it in his own unique style. This video was no different, with the dance originally made popular by creator @maxtaylorlifts.

@totouchanemu

I may not have @maxtaylorlifts dumpy but I do have a drone.

♬ STAY – The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber

“It’s not the first time I’ve done that, but it’s definitely the first time it has gone viral,” Allen quips.

The 32-year-old says the credit should go to the cool, sweeping drone shot and the relatability of a regular ol’ guy doing an incredibly fun dance with panache. “And obviously the song was a really big hit too. So, all those things combined really helped out.”

Allen has since recreated the viral video several times at different places and with different social media influencers while wearing his statement blue button-up shirt and white over-the-ear headphones. He’s also upgraded his drone to the new Mavic 3, telling DJI in a comment:

As soon as y’all enable the tracking features in the app, it’s game on!

Related: 5 fantastic features Mavic 3 won’t get until January 2022

Read more: DJI Mavic Mini receives new firmware update

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

DJI FPV discount sale
You’re reading DroneDJ — experts who break news about DJI and the wider drone ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow DroneDJ on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Comments

Author

Avatar for Ishveena Singh Ishveena Singh

Ishveena Singh is a versatile journalist and writer with a passion for drones and location technologies. She has been named as one of the 50 Rising Stars of the geospatial industry for the year 2021 by Geospatial World magazine.