To the delight of fans, nestled in the new season of Wednesday was a brand new song from the iconic Lady Gaga.
The Born This Way singer only made a fleeting appearance on screen as Rosaline Rotwood in the Jenna Ortega-fronted Netflix series, but couldn’t resist treating us to a tune.
Followed by two more songs, the Wednesday track has already taken fans by storm, especially as there is a built-in dance to go with it.
The Dead Dance features as the music to which Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) and Agnes DeMille (Evie Templeton) dance together in the latest episodes.
On first glance, it makes sense that Gaga would lend her musical talents to a project she is starring in — but there’s something deeper to this.
It could be that Netflix are attempting to kickstart a TikTok trend mirroring the viral dance scene from season one, which the Abracadabra hitmaker herself participated in.
Wednesday’s profile was undeniably raised by millions copying Jenna’s awkward movements to Goo Goo Muck by The Cramps.
It would be, frankly, idiotic for the showrunners not to attempt to manufacture a similar dance craze when you have Gaga on board.
The gothic ballet already has imitators on TikTok, with the ‘Dead Dance’ trend brimming with potential to carry Gaga’s song into the charts (as if she needed the help).
In her own music video, Gaga mimics the movements from Wednesday, subconsciously sowing the seeds further for fans to give it a go.
Songs with an in-built dance are not new — the YMCA, the Cha Cha Slide, Gangnam Style — but TikTok has taken this to stratospheric levels.
The app’s chokehold on the music industry has been growing, with artists frequently attempting to make a track go viral, even if they’re already huge stars.
The easiest way to do this is by attaching a dance with fun and easily followed steps, so suddenly everyone jumps on board, regardless of whether they like the artist or not.
Charli XCX wouldn’t have had her Brat Summer without the Apple dance and CMAT definitely wouldn’t say no to another Take A Sexy Picture phenomenon.
A shining example of this is Chappell Roan’s Hot To Go, which took her from relative unknown to a global sensation.
Yes, her songs are worthy of that attention, but the irresistible urge to take part in the modern equivalent of the YMCA propelled her to new heights.
First, those who attended her show began to do the dance at her request, then clips emerged online, then it became a TikTok trend, and the rest is history.
Chappell’s career was undoubtedly boosted by the simultaneous TikTok trends of Hot To Go and Casual — which, admittedly, wasn’t a dance but people were attempting to figure out ‘knee deep in the passenger seat’.
Already a star, Doechii’s Anxiety became a runaway hit thanks to its dance, which had the likes of Will Smith joining in (even if the song itself split opinions).
Recent All Points East performer Tyla had fans learning how to Bacardi after she did the move in her Water music video.
A similar attempt can be seen in real time with Raye and her new single Where the Hell Is My Husband?
Fans were already embracing the track for its fast-paced fun lyrics, but then, Raye debuted a simple, choreographed dance.
A departure from the Escapism hitmaker’s usual style, which will hopefully give the song a second wind to carry the momentum to that September 19 release date.
Some dances become so powerful that they end up in the actual performances, such as the Bejeweled dance, which Taylor Swift included in her Eras Tour.
The appeal of a TikTok-approved dance is obvious, with most big hits trending on the app first before they reach the charts.
As those in charge of marketing push for these moments more, the type of music made will inevitably shape itself to fit these parameters.
Organic or orchestrated, the pressure to have a viral song has forever changed music — even from those as influential as Lady Gaga.
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