What is the viral Apple Dance? Celebrities show off their moves at Charli XCX's Time Square concert

English singer Charli XCX wowed fans in a surprise pop-up show in Times Square, NYC, on Monday, November 18, 2024. The show was part of a promotional event hosted by H&M and featured the Brat artist performing five tracks from the album, including 360, Von Dutch, and Guess.

Videos from the evening circulating online show Julia Fox, Amelia Gray, Alex Consani, and Richie Shazam all doing the viral "Apple Dance" when Charli began singing her hit single Apple.

It was created by Kelley Heyer, an actor and content creator from NYC, and featured a series of simple steps like body rolls and holding an imaginary apple above one’s head.

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Charli XCX, along with her Sweat tourmate Troye Sivan hopped onto the Apple Dance trend

In June, Charli XCX dropped her latest album, Brat. The album and its 2000s rave scene-inspired tracks were an instant success, gaining accolades from critics and audiences alike. The project became a cultural phenomenon, with several songs from the album going viral, including Apple.

TikToker Kelley Heyer soon created a dance to the track, which became an internet sensation. In a July Tiktok video, Heyer explained that she created the choreography "on a whim" and is happy that everyone was dancing to it.

In a July 2024 interview with The Guardian, she explained:

"The rhythm in Apple made me want to dance in a certain way. I basically woke up, stood in front of a mirror and took everything from the lyrics."

Since then, several celebrities have replicated the steps to the Apple Dance, including the USA Women's Rugby team, Twisters star Brooke Shields, and even Late Show host Stephen Colbert.

Charli XCX herself hopped onto the trend, grooving to the song along with her Sweat tourmate Troye Sivan and photographer Terrence O'Connor.

Since Brat's release, fans have coined the term "Brat Summer," referencing the particular aesthetic and way of life inspired by the English singer's album. This includes the project's minimal cover—a lime green background with brat written in black font.

While Brat as an album gave carefree summer and party vibes, Apple is one of the more vulnerable songs dealing with generational trauma. Charli XCX Sings:

"I think the apple’s rotten right to the core / From all the things passed down from all the apples coming before / I split the apple down symmetrical lines / And what I find is kinda scary / Makes me just wanna drive."

The term "Brat Summer, has become synonymous with rejecting traditional expectations and celebrating individuality. Meg Walters of Glamor magazine in a July 2024 article likened the theme of the album to "having an existential crisis while trying to numb it all with a feral party."

Last month, Charli XCX dropped a remix version of the album, Brat and It's the Same but There's Three More Songs So It's Not. In addition to remixing songs from the original project, it featured several original tracks. This also was met with critical acclaim.

Brat peaked at No. 3 on Billboard 200 and topped the charts in the U.K., Australia, and Ireland. It received seven nominations at the Grammy Awards including the Album of the Year award.