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Twerking (/ˈtwɜːrkɪŋ/; possibly from 'to work') is a type ofdance topopular music in asexually provocative manner involvingthrowing or thrusting the hips back or shaking thebuttocks, often in alow squatting stance.[1] It is individually performed chiefly but not exclusively by women.[2][3]
Twerking is part of a larger set of characteristic moves unique to theNew Orleans style of hip-hop known as"bounce".[4] Moves include "mixing", "exercising", the "bend over", the "shoulder hustle", "clapping", "booty clapping", "booty poppin", "the sleeper" and "the wild wood"—all recognized as booty shaking or bounce.[5][6] Twerking is one among other types of choreographic gestures within bounce.
Twerking emerged from the bounce music scene ofNew Orleans in 1990.[7] It has a broader origin among other types of dancing found among theAfrican diaspora that derives fromBantu-speakingAfricans ofCentral Africa.[8]
As a tradition shaped bylocal aid and pleasureclubs,block parties andsecond lines,[9] the dance was central to "a historical situating of sissy bounce—bounce music as performed by artists from the New OrleansAfrican-American community that [led to] a meteoric rise in popularity post-[Hurricane Katrina after 2005]."[10] In the 1990s, twerking had widespread appeal in black party culture throughout the hip-hop/rap region known asThe Dirty South, includingNew Orleans,Houston, Memphis,Virginia Beach,Miami, andAtlanta.[9][10] In 2013, it became the top "what is" search on theGoogle search engine[11] following pop artistMiley Cyrus performing the dance at theMTV Video Music Awards.[12]
A 2013Oxford Dictionaries blog post states, "the most likely theory is that it is an alteration of work, because that word has a history of being used in similar ways, with dancers being encouraged to "work it".[13] Localbounce practitioners attribute the term to a contraction of "to work" ("t'work"; or, spelled as it's pronounced, "twerk").[14][15]
The Oxford English Dictionary defines an early 19th-century use of the word as a blend of "twist" (or "twitch") and "jerk", which was reported by theBBC in conjunction with the black cultural context.[16] The word is said to have originated from the inner-city ofNew Orleans and was used frequently in New Orleansbounce music by rappers and DJ hosting block parties in the housing projects.[7] On record, the 1993 song "Do the Jubilee All" byDJ Jubilee - which contains the lyrics "Twerk baby, twerk baby, twerk, twerk, twerk" - has been cited as its earliest use.[17][18][19]
The word became popular in the 2000s, when it was used byAtlanta rapperLil Jon and The East Side Boyz.[20] AGoogle Trends search reveals that interest in the word "twerk" arose in November 2011.[21]
TheOxford English Dictionary defines twerking as dancing "in asexually provocative manner, usingthrusting movements of the bottom and hips while in alow, squatting stance".[22]Merriam-Webster gives the definition as a "sexually suggestive dancing characterized by rapid, repeatedhip thrusts and shaking of thebuttocks especially while squatting".[23]
TheOxford English Dictionary's definition of the term may fuel the stigma[24] around twerking as a sexual and provocative dance.[25]
Elizabeth Pérez (2015) states in theAfrican and Black Diaspora: An International Journal:[8]
Booty dances have threatened the status quo by emphasizing group membership, the free movement of forcefulBlack bodies, andAfro-Diasporic counter-narratives. The Colombianmapalé, or baile negro, is a case in point. Mapalé recalls the fish tail dances of theNorth Americanplantation; Davila writes that ‘the fish’s movements after they are captured resemble [the dance’s] pelvic and midriff contractions to the beat of the drum’ (Davila 2009, 120). ‘The only dance that was permitted during times of Spanish rule’, mapalé became associated with rebellion through itsliberatory insistence on the body’s value as a vector for the transmission ofancestral knowledge (Davila 2009, 120).[8]
‘Where dance on a social level wascriminalized, in Mapalé, it continues to be an indestructible force ofAfro-Colombian identity within the fabric of theAtlantic Coast’ (Davila 2009, 134). Thebatuque, with its ‘artificial rotations and contortions of the hip’ was officially suppressed, as werecandombe and thebongo (quoted in Röhrig Assunção 2003, 167). The consensus is that such dances cognate to twerk – as indicated by their names and presence amongBantu-language-speakingslaves – areCentral African in origin. A number of scholars well versed in the matter have arrived at Kubik’s conclusion: ‘motional emphasis on the pelvis, buttocks, etc., especially pelvis thrusts or circular pelvis movements described inUnited Statesjazz dance history as “Congogrind” are always suspect of aCongo/Angola background’ (Kubik 1979, 20).[8]
Pérez (2015) states:[8]
The historically proximate precursors to twerk are as seldom cited as its analogues. Twerk emerged from earlier movement styles, like ‘the up-and-back hip-swinging bowed-legged movements of a dance called theTootsie Roll’ and p[ussy]-popping (Gaunt 2006, 285). As Miller notes, ‘it is likely thatP-Popping constitutes an expression of what Chadwick Hansen identified in the late 1960s as “a long tradition of erotic shaking dances in America”, which “have clearly been continuous within theNegro community”’ (Miller 2012, 98). Some of the earliest footage of such moves may be seen in clips of the legendaryJoséphine Baker. Picart writes, ‘[Baker biographer Phyllis] Rose conjectures that Baker’s frenzied improvisational “stomach dance” was probably derived from moves related to the belly dance:the Shake, theShimmy, theMess Around – all of which were popular with New York Blackjazz dancers in 1920s’ (Picart 2013, 58).[8]
Other ‘serpentine’ dances that presaged twerk are the Georgia crawl and ‘the sensuous grind’ calledballin’ the jack, both with their heyday in the nineteen-teens (Gaunt 2012, 108; George-Graves 2009, 59; Oliver 1999, 107–108). In the same period, ‘From Florida came the Swamp Shimmy, in which vigorous undulations of body, hips, and limbs made up for lack of forward movement’ (Oliver 1960, 149). The historical record indicates that dances like twerk date to theantebellum period in theAmerican South. Enslaved people performed sinuous snake hip and fish tail dances on plantations during festivals and special gatherings, such as celebratory dinners. Perhaps tellingly, like the snake hip movement, twerk can serve as an ‘embellishment’ or ‘an independent dance in its own right’ (Hazzard-Gordon 1990, 123).[8]
In 1990, the introduction of bounce music into the New Orleans music scene brought along the dance of twerking.[7] In 1992, Panamanian singer Renato recorded the videoclip "El más sensual" (the most sexy), a reggae song with the twerking dance.[26]
The diffusion of the dance phenomenon began earlier via local parties and eventually strip clubs often associated with mainstream rap music and video production aired by video cable television shows that featured rap music and R&B music. Popularvideo-sharing platforms such asYouTube amplified interest since the advent of digital social media.[27]
Twerking first received national recognition in the United States in the early 2000s, when the song "Whistle While You Twurk" (2000), bySouthern hip hop duoYing Yang Twins, peaked at number 17 on theBillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs component chart. It was later referenced in their later track "Say I Yi Yi" (2002), in which the lyrics "she got her hands up on her knees and her elbows on her thighs / she like to twerk and that's for certain I can tell that she fly" are heard. The chorus ofSilkk the Shocker's 2001 song "That's Cool" features the line "Somebody that's off the chain / who could twerk that thang.”
R&B and pop girl groupDestiny's Child was the first mainstream American girl group to use the word in a song in their song "Jumpin' Jumpin'".Beyoncé made use of the word and dance in her 2005 song and corresponding music video "Check on It".[28]
In 2013, the dance became a viral sensation beyondAfrican-American popular culture, when pop singerMiley Cyrus used the dance in a video that was uploaded first onFacebook and then on YouTube in March which then later became a viral meme throughout social media outlets.[29] Though twerking began trending as a web search in November 2011, and despite its origins in the bounce culture of New Orleans in the late 1980s, the word twerk would be added to theOxford Dictionary Online[30] and attributed to Cyrus following her appearance at the MTV VMA Awards in August 2013. It became the number one "what is"Google search that year[31] as those outside the culture questioned the popularity of the dance. The word was a runner-up to "selfie" in the Oxford DictionariesWord of the Year 2013.[32]
In 2006, the hit single "SexyBack", by American pop singerJustin Timberlake, featuringTimbaland, from the former's second studio albumFuturesex/Lovesounds, featured Timbaland rapping the lyrics "Let me see what you're twerking with / Go ahead, be gone with it, Look at those hips".In 2007, the song "Pop, Lock & Drop It", by American rapperHuey, reached number six on the USBillboard Hot 100.
The 2012 single "Bandz a Make Her Dance" byJuicy J contains the lyric "Start twerking when she hear her song",[33] whileFrench Montana questions the ability of a girl to twerk by asking "What you twerkin' with?" in his 2012 single "Pop That" featuring fellow rappers Drake,Lil Wayne andRick Ross.[34] The aforementioned songs, along with "Express Yourself" by Nicky Da B andDiplo, "made twerking the most popular dance move since theDougie".[35] In 2014, the song "Anaconda" byNicki Minaj peaked at number 2 on theBillboard Hot 100, makes numerous allusions to twerking.
In November 2018, theCity Girls released a song called "Twerk" featuring rapperCardi B which peaked on the USBillboard Hot 100 at number 29. The lyrics to the song ("Twerk-twerk-twerk-twerk-twerk-twerk with her") is self-explanatory as to how the City Girls wanted to grab the attention of their female audience.[36] The music video has over 200 million views on YouTube as of June 2022.[37]
In 2011, the Twerk Team, a group of female dancers fromAtlanta who have posted several videos of themselves twerking onYouTube, were mentioned during the song "Round of Applause" byWaka Flocka Flame featuringDrake, in the line "Bounce that ass, shake that ass like the Twerk Team".[38] Australian rapperIggy Azalea has incorporated twerking into her live shows since 2011.[39][40] In July 2012, during theWorkaholics episode "The Lord's Force",Anders Holm says "Let's just, uh, put on some twerk videos or something, right?".[41]
In March 2013, American pop singerMiley Cyrus posted a video onFacebook which featured her performing a twerking routine while wearing aunicorn suit, to the 2011 single "Wop" byJ. Dash. The popularity of the video, along with parodies and responses made by fans, influenced the song's re-emergence on theBillboard Hot 100.[42] Miley Cyrus's "Wop" video would go to becomeviral. By April 9, 2013, copies of the video had amassed over 4 million views onYouTube. Also in March 2013,Mollie King, an English singer-songwriter and lead vocalist of British-Irish girl groupThe Saturdays, was seen twerking when her bandmateRochelle Humes uploaded the footage on YouTube.[43]
American actress and singerVanessa Hudgens was seen twerking in March 2013 on American late-night talk showThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[44] In September 2013, Hudgens was later seen twerking, this time to the song "Bubble Butt", during her performance at Bootsy Bellows inWest Hollywood, with her girl group YLA.[45][46] Hudgens was again seen twerking in a video forShade 45's radio showSway in the Morning.[47][48] American actress and singerAshley Tisdale can also be seen twerking in a video forShade 45's radio showSway in the Morning.[49][50]
On July 9, 2013, a video was posted on theTwitter-owned video sharing serviceVine entitled "Twerk Team", which featured a group of five women provocatively twerking to "Don't Drop That Thun Thun". The clip was shared by users over 100,000 times, becoming a trend for the community and users created their own responses and parodies featuring the song, collected under thehashtags "#dontdropthat" and "#thunthun". The viral popularity of the Vine clips led to an unexpected increase in sales for the song; prior to the posting of the "Twerk Team" clip, only 4,000 copies of the song had been sold; in the following weeks, sales went up to 34,000, then to over 72,000. By late July, "Don't Drop That Thun Thun" had reached #5 onBillboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs chart, and it eventually peaked at #35 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart.[51]
Both "Wop" and "Don't Drop That Thun Thun" have been cited as examples of how viral and user-created videos can bring renewed interest to songs;Spin writer Jordan Sargent considered "Wop" to berap music's "Harlem Shake moment", but not ameme to the same extent as it.[51][52] In April 2013, American rapperDanny Brown released the song "Express Yourself", inspired by music producer Diplo's song of the same name. The song, produced by Trampy, features a fast-paced electronic beat and is a composition about the popular dance craze twerking.[53] Brown dedicated the song "to all the ladies that like to turn up and have fun," in which he raps "Toes on the wall and her ass in the air / And she twerk that thing like she ain't have a care".[54][55]
In the music video for Barbadian singerRihanna's single "Pour It Up", which was released in May 2013, the singer can be seen twerking.[56] In June 2013, American rapperBusta Rhymes released a Jamaicandancehall-inspired single titled "Twerk It", featuringNicki Minaj, who has been featured on several other "twerking songs", including "Shakin' It 4 Daddy" byRobin Thicke, "Dance (A$$)" byBig Sean and "Clappers" byWale. Minaj can be seen twerking in all four of the aforementioned songs' respective music videos. Minaj can also be seen twerking in the music videos for American rapperNelly's single "Get Like Me" and American singerCiara's single "I'm Out".[57][58] In August 2013, the song "Twerk", byLil Twist, featuring pop singersMiley Cyrus andJustin Bieber, wasleaked online.[59]
On July 14, 2013,Showtime broadcast Season 1 Episode 3 of the seriesRay Donovan, entitled "Twerk", in which actor Jon Voight's character enters a college library and pays a student to give up his computer terminal so that he can watch online videos of women twerking.[60] A YouTube video of the scene has more than 38,000views.[61]
In August 2013, Juicy J announced viaTwitter that he would give out a $50,000 scholarship for the girl who can twerk the best. The competition is inspired by the track "Scholarship" on his third albumStay Trippy, which contains the lyric "Keep twerking baby, might earn you a scholarship."[62] In early September 2013, a video titled "Worst Twerk Fail EVER - Girl Catches Fire!", began circulating around online; the video went on to becomeviral with over 9 million views, and received media coverage. The following week, American comedian and television hostJimmy Kimmel revealed the video was ahoax that he and his team had devised, onJimmy Kimmel Live!.[63][64][65] In April 2014, the video won theWebby Award for best viral clip of the year.[66]
Also in September, "Twerk" from theMTV VMA show was named the Top Television Word of the Year (Teleword) of the 2012–2013 TV season by theGlobal Language Monitor. In October 2013, American actressBeth Behrs, of American television sitcom2 Broke Girls, was seen twerking onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show.[67][68] Behrs was later seen twerking to the 1992 hit "Baby Got Back", in January 2014, during the40th annual awards ceremony of thePeople's Choice Awards, which she hosted alongside her co-starKat Dennings.[69][70]
The fifth episode of the fifth season of the American musical television seriesGlee, which aired November 13, 2013 and was titled "The End of Twerk", revolved around the twerking phenomenon.[71] The seventh episode of the second season of the American reality television seriesBad Girls All-Star Battle, which aired February 25, 2014 and was titled "Twerk It Out", featured the contestants twerking as fast as possible with pedometers on their back.[72]
In August 2013, American recording artistMiley Cyrus, generated controversy following a sexually provocative performance during the2013 MTV Video Music Awards, in which Cyrus twerked during a medley of her track "We Can't Stop", "Blurred Lines" and "Give It 2 U" byRobin Thicke.[12] Cyrus also received criticism for "stealing" African American culture, also known ascultural appropriation.[73]
In October 2013, Valerie Dixon who was 27 years old, was arrested inLake County, Florida, because she was twerking and speaking foul language in front of a school bus. Other arrests in Florida for electric twerking in public include the video blogger Carmel Kitten and two unnamed Canadian tourists.[74]
In August 2014, American recording artistTaylor Swift, featured twerking in the music video to her single "Shake It Off".[75] This caused some controversy with American rapperEarl Sweatshirt saying that the video was "perpetuating stereotypes".[76]
In January 2024, theGuinness world record for the longest duration twerking, was set by Babajide Isreal Adebanjo, in Lagos Nigeria.[77] He twerked for 3 hours, 30 minutes.[77]
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