--- title: The Internet Can't Stop Dancing to This Viral Hit Song description: "Closer" by The Chainsmokers is becoming a viral meme, thanks to a legion of obsessed fans who just can't stop dancing to the hit song. canonical: https://time.com/4497288/chainsmokers-closer-meme/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-16T17:23:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:38.566Z og:title: The Internet Can't Stop Dancing to This Viral Hit Song og:description: The inescapable song "Closer" by The Chainsmokers is becoming a Twitter meme. og:url: https://time.com/4497288/chainsmokers-closer-meme/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Internet Can't Stop Dancing to This Viral Hit Song twitter:description: The inescapable song "Closer" by The Chainsmokers is becoming a Twitter meme. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # People Really, Really Like Dancing to 'Closer' by The Chainsmokers So It's Becoming a Viral Sensation > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=8e614815-856c-4ca1-a5e7-748e44a3b8bf&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=8e614815-856c-4ca1-a5e7-748e44a3b8bf&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=8e614815-856c-4ca1-a5e7-748e44a3b8bf&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: Giorgio Moroder Describes the Perfect Pop Dance Song [Watch (HLS stream): Giorgio Moroder Describes the Perfect Pop Dance Song](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/J4PWndMR.m3u8) (1:15)  _Published 2015-02-06. At the age of 74, electronic music producer Giorgio Moroder is releasing his first album in three decades._  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Sep 16, 2016 5:23 PM UTC  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Sep 16, 2016 5:23 PM UTC Drake’s “One Dance” may have been [crowned song of the summer](http://time.com/4480435/spotify-song-of-the-summer-drake-one-dance/?iid=sr-link2), but “Closer” by The Chainsmokers is definitely the soundtrack of the fall: the EDM-lite track [featuring vocals by Halsey](http://motto.time.com/4429627/halsey-rolling-stone-interview/?iid=sr-link2) has been sitting pretty on the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 for [six straight weeks](http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7510377/the-chainsmokers-vmas-closer-performance), with no end to its radio wave dominance in sight. Naturally, people are starting to have strong reactions to the song’s inescapable synth chords. That is, fans are finding it hard to contain their feels, and are bursting out into spontaneous dance… and sharing their moves to social media. It’s an echo of the experience of other meme-ified popular songs — viral hits like Baauer’s [“Harlem Shake”](http://business.time.com/2013/02/21/how-your-harlem-shake-videos-makes-money-for-the-original-artist/?iid=sr-link1), Psy’s [“Gangnam Style,”](http://time.com/2803345/psys-gangnam-style-youtube/?iid=sr-link8) even Beyoncé’s “[Single Ladies”](http://time.com/4008214/beyonce-water-aerobics-instructor/?iid=sr-link2). It works like this: when a song reaches peak cultural saturation, it ends up getting the selfie-video treatment, usually with accompanying dance moves. It rides a wave of social-media-spurred hype, and eventually burns out, leaving in its wake an archive of reactionary digital artifacts. (And how apt, as the breakout hit of The Chainsmokers back in 2013 was [the song titled “#Selfie.”](http://time.com/66261/selfie-absorbed/?iid=sr-link1)) Unlike some of its predecessors, though, “Closer” doesn’t come with predetermined choreography, which means it’s a very eclectic mix of moves that end up online. Enough people are posting their reaction videos that the collection [even warranted its own Twitter moment,](https://twitter.com/i/moments/776538731792564224) confirming (or maybe popularizing) the legitimacy of the form. Mainly it’s just a bunch of Generation Z kids dancing, in various disguises, to the strangely hypnotic song. See for yourself, and then await the next chart-topper from the [duo of bros.](http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/7510387/the-chainsmokers-billboard-cover-closer) > [](https://twitter.com/LaelWingardDEKP/status/775996539000938496) > [](https://twitter.com/quisss%5F%5F/status/776134569586155520) > [](https://twitter.com/klleddy/status/775907303509856256) > [](https://twitter.com/FeaaCarmeen/status/773716823430672384) ## Transcript To be honest, [ MUSIC ] for me to get a chance to do a record at my age, that's a something you have to take. You cannot say no. [ MUSIC ] It's quite different. Now it's, it's all, every single now has a manager, a producer, a vocal producer which we never had. It's a lot of involvement of a lot of people for every song, so. And the, that's I think one of the reasons it takes so long, to, to, to record and to finish. I'd like to do hopefully perfect dance of songs. Maybe the next album if there is an album maybe if there's another sound or another direction. But for this one I definitely want to have some pop. The hook has to be great, the lyrics. The rhythm, the voice. [ MUSIC ] And then the timing, you know, to have a success, if the timing is wrong, it's almost impossible. [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4497288/chainsmokers-closer-meme/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4497288/chainsmokers-closer-meme/"},"headline":"People Really, Really Like Dancing to 'Closer' by The Chainsmokers So It's Becoming a Viral Sensation","datePublished":"2016-09-16T17:23:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:47:38.566Z","description":"\"And I can't stop / No I just can't stop\"","url":"https://time.com/4497288/chainsmokers-closer-meme/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Entertainment","Music","viral"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4497288/chainsmokers-closer-meme/","name":"People Really, Really Like Dancing to 'Closer' by The Chainsmokers So It's Becoming a Viral Sensation"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Giorgio Moroder Describes the Perfect Pop Dance Song","description":"At the age of 74, electronic music producer Giorgio Moroder is releasing his first album in three decades.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/J4PWndMR/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-02-06T22:07:47.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/J4PWndMR.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4497288/chainsmokers-closer-meme/","duration":"PT1M15S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4497288/chainsmokers-closer-meme/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```