The Running Man Challenge Has Put “My Boo” Back On The Charts
Update: The song is now charting higher than it did when it was released in 1996.
In 1996 “My Boo” by Ghostown DJs reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the sweet R&B tune soundtracked many a furitive school dance handhold (or, if the teachers weren't looking, some awkward grinding). Twenty years later, the song has bested that placing and reached the No. 29 spot on the Hot 100, its ascent fuelled by a meme known as “The Running Man Challenge.”
The trend exploded with one video, seen above, made by three basketball players from the University of Maryland that soon spread all over the internet. This variation on the dance move—started by Kevin Vincent and Jeremiah Hall and popularized by Jared Nickens, Jaylen Brantley, and Damonte Dodd—has the potential to spread even wider than Rich The Kid's dab, because it's deliberately goofy. Anyone from college basketball players to presidential candidates could pull it off (but don't feel like you have to try, Hillary).
We reached Rodney Terry of the Ghostown DJs over email, and he seemed rejuvenated by the song's resurgence. Well, re-resurgence. “I was very grateful again... Ciara did [sample] it with 'Body Party,' so I was like 'Wow!' again.” There are no plans yet for music, but he did mention the possibility of a summer tour “with KP and Envyi, [best known for 1997's] 'Shorty Swing My Way.'” If the chart ascent of “My Boo” continues, Ghostown DJs may end up performing for more teenagers than nostalgia-hungry adults.
Update: This article was updated on May 10 and May 13 to indicate the current chart position of "My Boo."