The Hotline Bling AI Trend, Explained

The Hotline Bling AI trend is people using AI video tools to put somebody new into the glowing room from Drake’s 2015 Hotline Bling music video and have them do his famous dance: SpongeBob and Patrick, Batman and the Joker, athletes, cats in puffer jackets, and a lot of regular people doing it themselves. A Hotline Bling AI video takes one photo of someone and turns it into that dance, in that room, with the song playing. It took off in early October 2026 and exploded in November.

Where It Started: Drake, the 6 and a Room Full of Light

The song came first. Drake released "Hotline Bling" in July 2015, and it later landed on his 2016 album Views (Wikipedia). The music video followed in October 2015, directed by Director X. Drake dances alone, and at times with dancers, in rooms of glowing coloured light, a set inspired by the light installations of artist James Turrell.

The dance did the rest. It was loose, a little goofy and completely unbothered, and the internet could not leave it alone. Within weeks people were editing his moves into tennis matches, video games and anything else that would hold still, and it became one of the biggest memes of 2015.

Eleven years later the room is open again. Since early October 2026, creators have been using AI video tools to recast the dance. The biggest post so far is a SpongeBob and Patrick version from @nekit_rkv on Instagram, posted on November 6, 2026 and sitting at about 13.6 million plays; that creator made it with Higgsfield’s Genjutsu. The same creator’s Masha and the Bear take passed about 1.4 million. Batman and the Joker, Loid and Yor, Grogu and cats in red puffer jackets all followed, along with endless "me doing the Hotline Bling dance" posts. Search the tags #hotlinebling, #drake, #aivideo and #hotlineblingai to see the feed.

Why Everyone Wants Back in That Room

• Everyone already knows it. The song, the colour-blocked rooms, the beige turtleneck, the red puffer, the flip phone: it’s one of the most recognisable music videos of the last decade, so nobody needs the joke explained.
• The dance is easy to love. It isn’t choreography you have to nail. It’s knee bounces, slow arm swings and a confident shrug of the shoulders, which looks funny on a cartoon, sweet on a grandparent and perfect on a cat.
• It’s nostalgia with a twist. People who were on the internet in 2015 remember the meme; people who weren’t get a fresh, glowing clip that looks great in a feed.
• AI made it personal. In 2015 you could only edit Drake into things. In 2026 you can put yourself where Drake stood.

What a Hotline Bling AI Video Takes From the Trend, and What It Takes From You

Our generator copies one creator’s solo take on the dance (@sherm_studios on TikTok) move by move, using Wan 3.0, Alibaba’s Wan video model.

From the trend:

• Drake’s loose, playful solo dance: knee bounces, slow arm swings, side steps, a hand wave by the head, shoulder rocks
• An empty glowing room whose light slowly shifts from pink to purple to deep blue
• One continuous take, with the camera drifting lower and closer
• The song "Hotline Bling", laid back on after rendering

From your photo:

• Your face, your hair and your own clothes (the AI doesn’t dress you in a turtleneck or a puffer)
• You, a friend or your pet; two people in one photo dance side by side

The result is a 13-second MP4, 720p, 16:9 landscape, with no watermark. AI results vary a little from take to take.

Make Your Own

Scroll up to the generator on the homepage, drop in one photo and press the button. Each video costs 20 credits, and packs start at $9.90 for one video. Want the full walkthrough, with photo tips and posting advice? Read how to make a Hotline Bling AI video.

Join the Trend Responsibly

• Use your own photo, or get permission before putting someone else in a video.
• Don’t use photos of celebrities, politicians or other public figures, and don’t upload minors without a parent’s consent.
• Label your clip as AI-generated when you post it.

Hotline Bling AI Trend FAQ

What is the Hotline Bling AI trend? It’s AI videos that put someone new into the glowing room from Drake’s 2015 Hotline Bling video, doing his dance. Cartoon characters, athletes, pets and regular people have all had a turn since the trend started in October 2026.

Who made the SpongeBob Hotline Bling video? The SpongeBob and Patrick version is by @nekit_rkv on Instagram, posted on November 6, 2026, with about 13.6 million plays. It’s the trend’s biggest post so far.

Who directed the original Hotline Bling video? Director X directed it, and it came out in October 2015. Its glowing rooms were inspired by the light installations of James Turrell.

What album is Hotline Bling on? "Hotline Bling" came out as a single in July 2015 and later appeared on Drake’s 2016 album Views.

Is this site official? No. Hotline Bling is an independent fan-made tool and isn’t affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Drake, OVO, Republic Records, Cash Money or the makers of the music video.