Drake Hotline Bling Meme

When Drake released his music video for "Hotline Bling" in October 2015, viewers immediately noticed his unique dance moves and facial expressions. Screenshots of Drake looking away dismissively (top panel) and pointing approvingly (bottom panel) quickly became the format for comparing preferences.

Within weeks, people were using the format for everything from food preferences to software choices to political opinions. The simplicity of the format — "thing I don't want" vs "thing I do want" — made it infinitely reusable.

The Drake meme succeeded because it requires zero explanation. A viewer instantly understands the format: top row is bad/unwanted, bottom row is good/wanted. The contrast is visually clear, and the format works for almost any comparison topic imaginable.

Unlike many memes that fade after a few months, the Drake format is a perennial template that resurfaces every time someone needs to express a preference. It's essentially a visual "I prefer this over that" statement.

Top panel (Drake refusing): Guessing ADIEU as your first Wordle word
Bottom panel (Drake approving): Using SLATE because of proper letter frequency analysis

— Every Wordle strategy guide, basically

Top panel: Playing a random word in Scrabble for 12 points
Bottom panel: Playing QI on a triple-letter square for 31 points

— Scrabble optimization at its finest

Top panel: Trying to remember the crossword clue while distracted
Bottom panel: Googling the crossword clue and pretending you figured it out

— Every casual crossword player ever