Korean teen’s gravity-defying ‘Slickback’ dance move takes TikTok by storm

The context: The dance move was popularized by South Korean teen Lee Hyo-cheol after his video, uploaded to TikTok on Oct. 15, went massively viral online with over 231 million views on the social media platform.

What is it about: The move, called the Slickback, is like the moonwalk dance step popularized by the late Michael Jackson, but instead of moving backward, the 2023 dance craze sees the dancer propelling forward or sideways through a series of shuffles that gives the illusion that they are floating or gliding.

Its history: While Lee made the dance move popular through the viral TikTok video, he is not the first one to come up with the dance step, as the Slickback is a variation of the Jubi Slide dance move created by TikTok user Jubi2fye in 2022.

Some people also refer to the Jubi Slide as the Slickback, as the dance move is usually performed alongside the song “A Pimp Named Slickback” by DJ and producer Lakim.

Explaining the difference: Speaking to Recent Olympics, Lee, a student from Daegu City in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, explained that the difference between the Jubi Slide and Slickback is that the latter is performed by jumping on one’s heels instead of dragging one’s feet.

Taking over the internet: Celebrities are also joining in on the dance craze, including K-pop idols like Yujin of ZEROBASEONE and group Le Sserafim, whose members end up running around in a circle while attempting the dance move in their video.

How people reacted: Several TikTok users expressed amazement with Lee’s version of the Jubi Slide.

“That’s no slickback it’s FLOATING,” one user commented.

“My guy took the slickback trend to another level,” another TikTok user commented.

“He’s unlocked floating capabilities,” one TikTok user stated.