Cupid Shuffle is the best party song
Pop music reached an important peak in 2007. There have been great years for pop before and since, but the sheer go-for-broke optimism and experimentation of that year is unparalleled. Rihanna broke through with Umbrella. Lil Mama gave us the party anthem Lip Gloss. Kanye West's Stronger used one of the strongest samples ever committed to song. We heard seminal musicians cohabiting a sonic environment that hasn't been replicated since; Flo Rida and Arcade Fire, Britney Spears and Linkin Park, Sean Kingston and Aly & AJ, Sarah Bareilles and LCD Soundsystem.
Cupid's one-hit-wonder Cupid Shuffle was also in the mix. By no means is it the best song of that era, or one that will be remembered beyond this generation. However, it holds an even more important honor: it's a song that can get any party going, and perhaps the best party song ever produced.
I know, I know, it's is a big claim. Cupid hasn't released anything of note since that song, and it's not like Cupid Shuffle has had some huge cultural impact beyond the sticky floors of middle school dances and bat mitzvahs. I'm not here to defend the song for its artistic merit. I'm here to prove it can get any party going.
What makes Cupid Shuffle so special is that it makes people dance, and actually get into it. Like its close cousin Cha-Cha Slide, it's a song that gives explicit instructions on how to dance to it, and it's one that's instantly recognizable to most people in college right now. Cupid Shuffle sets itself apart with a more danceable beat, a shorter run time, and better instructions. There's shuffling and rotating, but there's room for experimentation too.
Everyone knows it, but it's unexpected. It's welcome relief from the relentless sad trap vibes that dominate house parties today. There's a place and a time for every type of song at a party, but this is a ray of sunshine that can get anyone dancing. Even better, you can't grind to it, so everyone is basically forced to yield the dance floor to the magic that Cupid delivers.
If you're in a music rut, it's time to experiment. Don't be afraid to switch it up every once in a while, especially after you burn through Mask Off, Bad and Boujee, and HUMBLE. Cupid Shuffle is the quickest way to get everyone in the room involved and prove that you know what you're doing. In the spirit of 2007, blast Cupid at the next party you attend. You won't be disappointed.