Ne-Yo Goes Viral For His Dance Moves In "Knock You Down" Music Video

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.5K Views
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House Of BET - Day 3
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 25: Ne-Yo performs onstage at House Of BET on June 25, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
How does he move those hands so fast?

Ne-Yo may be more well-known for his relationship troubles when it comes to headlines these days, but don't sleep on his music because of it. He built up a pretty long-lasting legacy within R&B and pop, and remains one of these genres' most popular figures. Moreover, fans are looking back at the now-iconic music video for "Knock You Down" and realizing that the singer deserves more credit than they gave him when it dropped in 2009. The track, from Keri Hilson and also featuring Kanye West, is quite the fun banger, but that's not what people are focusing on here.

Instead, fans can't believe that Ne-Yo moves his hands so fast in one point of the video, then raising one up to flex it. It sounds pretty bizarre for people to harp on this, but it resulted in some pretty funny commentary about it on social media. For example, some compared it to other moves by artists like Tyrese, and also made jokes about him being like Floyd Mayweather with his punches. Overall, it's just another instance of people making old hits find new life in the social media age to pretty comical results.

Ne-Yo Stirs The Social Media Pot With His Old Dance Moves

What's more is that this arm-spinning is actually kind of a common thing within R&B and rap, especially during this time. One fan pointed out that Ne-Yo's moves are similar to that of MCs like Kevin Gates, who surely spun arms around in similar fashion to pay homage. Of course, that's not to say that there's a sole entertainer who holds the copyright to these moves, which might have other origins beyond music. Still, it's kind of astonishing to see just how many people remember this and feel so strongly about the moves.

Meanwhile, the Arkansas native is focusing more on his live performances these days rather than putting out a lot of new material. He's clearly having fun, as a wild clip emerged of a fan twerking on him during a recent concert. We'll see if these shows bring back some arm-spinning choreography, or if the R&B star realizes how much people admire it. On that note, keep checking in with HNHH for the latest news and updates on Ne-Yo.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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