The year was 2007. And while the masses were grooving to the soulful silkiness from the likes of  Amy Winehouse, a song snuck up and took the world by storm. In the process ushering in a new era in music.

Today’s From The Vault pick is the infectious ‘Crank That’ by Soulja Boy.

Produced and written by Soulja Boy himself, the track was his debut single and was received with worldwide acclaim, because of its instructional structure and catchy hooks and chants.

The track shot to the top the charts in the US and reigned for a seismic seven weeks. In the UK, it peaked at #2, and was also a Top 5 smash in Australia and Canada peaking at #3 and #5 respectively.

In the United States, it was named the 23rd biggest song of the 00’s, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. Talk about a debut.

The song’s instruction-driven video was directed by Dale Resteghini. Within, it presents the head of Collipark Records taking an interest in signing Soulja after discovering the whole city embracing dance craze.

Over a decade later, the song has an impressive 431 million views on YouTube and remains a firm fixture on plenty of turn up playlists on Spotify and beyond.

Many many, the ‘Crank That’ phenomenon was the catalyst for all the various instructional dance crazes which followed.

With everybody and their mama – quite literally – hopping on the TikTok train, we can’t help but imagine just how bigger ‘Crank That’ would have been if that platform existed in 2007.

Though Soulja Boy is rarely included on anybody’s Top 10 Best Rappers Of All Time tally, he has managed to make the world dance as one with this very song; a feat most of his more respected peers can’t say they achieved.

Your thoughts?