Hey Mama

Origin

"Hey Mama" refers to the choreography created by Noze, leader of the dance crew WAYB, on Mnet's dance competition show Street Woman Fighter, and to the "Hey Mama Challenge" of copying it. The music is "Hey Mama" by French DJ David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha and Afrojack, released as a single in March 2015 and peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The choreography debuted in the show's rank mission. Noze choreographed the leader-rank dance video performed by the crew leaders together, and Mnet posted the video to YouTube on September 6, 2021 (Korea time), a day before episode 3 aired. It has since passed 1.85 million views. Its hallmarks are cool, blank expressions, sharp hand movements and a short, repeating structure.

Spread

Right after the broadcast, the choreography spread as a challenge on TikTok and YouTube Shorts. In a September 2021 interview with Harper's BAZAAR Korea, a TikTok Korea content operations manager cited the #HEYMAMA challenge as a case that drew everyone from professional dancers to casual users thanks to the show's popularity, explaining that simple moves paired with catchy music drive a challenge's success. Other dancers from the show and K-pop idols also rushed to post covers.

Noze felt the popularity herself. According to OSEN's report after the show's Chuseok special aired on September 21, 2021, she said, "I'm feeling the popularity more lately. I get lots of messages from people around me, and a lot of celebrities are copying the dance." She also shared that her parents had opposed her dancing when she was young, and that she cried after receiving a message of support from her mother. Throughout the show's run, "Hey Mama" became one of its defining moments, tied to Noze's name.

Usage

Short challenge videos copying Noze's choreography to the song's chorus
Covers by idols and celebrities on variety shows or their own channels, riding the show's buzz
Parodies that borrow just the cool expression and hand moves for everyday clips