“It just created this cultural movement where people were so excited to start line dancing and wanting to do that. And it was the most bizarre thing ever because I felt like I was a part of a culture shift,” the singer-songwriter tells TooFab.
“Did your boots stop working, did your truck break down?”
If you’re a regular TikTok user, you’ve probably heard those lyrics — and likely seen a person doing a line dance to a catchy, country track.
The rising country singer — who also choreographed the viral line dance — is Dasha, and if you haven’t heard of her yet, you’re about to, as the 23-year-old is blowing up.
In an interview with TooFab, Dasha opened up about “Austin” going viral on TikTok, and reflected on her sudden social media fame.
“It was about two weeks ago, and it’s when my mom’s friends started texting me. It’s when random high school people started texting me,” she recalled of the moment she realized her song and dance blew up on TikTok.
“People I usually don’t hear [from] when I release songs. They were like, ‘Hey, I see your song everywhere. Like, I can’t stop listening to your song. People are talking about your song. People are texting about you.’ And it was like, ‘Whoa. People are actually paying attention for a second.'”
“And you know, obviously we were tracking the numbers on Spotify for artists, but after that first video went up with Zoe, she and I line dancing,” she continued. “I mean, it just created this cultural movement where people were so excited to start line dancing and wanting to do that.”
ABC / Getty
Watch Loretta Lynn’s Granddaughter Shock American Idol Judges with Audition
View Story
“And it was the most bizarre thing ever because I felt like I was a part of a culture shift. I’m like, ‘Whoa, my song is a soundtrack to people wanting to do line dancing and interact in that way.’ And it was the coolest thing ever, but literally two weeks ago, everything has changed so fast.”
Dasha — who dropped her debut country album What Happens Now last month — went on to share what inspired her to choreograph a fun line dance to “Austin,” which is currently No. 3 on Spotify’s Viral US Top 50 and No. 4 on the Viral 50 Global charts.
“It’s literally bizarre. So I choreographed the dance. I don’t know. I guess the idea came from a very genuine space of I love line dancing. I love two-stepping. I love going to honky-tonks and dancing,” she said, adding that she “grew up dancing” including 15 years of ballet. “My favorite way to interact with music is dancing to it.”
“And I feel like you have the club, R&B music where you’re just f–king going at it, whatever. But I’m missing, in my music, at my shows, I want people to be dancing to my music, but I know it’s not always super upbeat and easy to dance to. So I’m like, it would be so cool if people started line dancing to my music during my shows, starting a honky-tonk at my shows would be so, so cool.”
Dasha added that her and her manager’s “North star goal” with “Austin,” is to get “every honky-tonk in the world” to play the track on Friday nights, and for people to do the dance.
“That, just as a staple, would be such a cool way to interact with my music and be a part of my community, be a part of the Dasha world,” she told TooFab. “So I was just like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna choreograph a line dance, let’s do it.’ So I just did it literally. I just did it. I went through a few drafts, then that first video went up with Zoe, and it was just such a natural thing. People just loved it, and wanted to do it, too.”
The song and dance have taken over TikTok — with people all over the world putting their own spin on the routine. And some TikTok users have gotten creative, to say the least.
When asked if there are any videos in particular that she’s loving right now, Dasha said, “I mean, my two favorites off the top of my head are one, the girl who kicked her chicken.”
“She lives on a farm,” she continued, “and she was dancing and then a rooster starts charging her, and she kicks it in the air and grabs it by its feet, brings it to the camera, and goes, ‘Austin.’ And I was like, ‘There’s no way this is real. I was like, ‘This is actually crazy.'”
“And then the other one was this girl and she was in her front yard,” Dasha added. “It has over 6 million views already, but she’s in her front yard and she’s about to do the dance. ‘Did your boots stop?’ And her foot rolls, and she falls into the bushes, and it’s so good. It’s literally so good.”
The TikTok of the girl falling now has over eight million views. Check out the clip in question — as well as Dasha’s other fave — in the TikToks below.
While going viral may seem surreal to her, the sudden success she’s received for “Austin” is not lost on her.
“This song has literally changed my life,” she told TooFab. “And it’s so crazy to see it all happen in weeks. It’s wild.”
Meanwhile, Dasha went on to share some of her music influences and who she looks up to in the industry.
She first named Grammy-winner Kacey Musgraves, citing the country singer’s “songwriting style.”
“She paints a picture in your head, and I really try to do the same thing. I really respect her as a songwriter,” Dasha said, before also listing Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, and Avril Lavigne as inspirations.
She also revealed that she “find[s] a lot of inspiration” from R&B music, especially in her melodies.
Getty
Maren Morris Applauds Beyoncé’s Return to Country Music: ‘Such a Statement’
View Story
“My melody approach is very nontraditional for country music,” Dasha told TooFab. “As much storytelling as I have in my music, I also love a pop hook, and I love some crazy melodies, and I love a good vocal run. And I’ve taken that a lot from SZA and Chris Brown. I love Chris Brown. Don’t get me started on him. That man can move his hips!”
“I love a good hook. You need a hook, and I know how to write a hook,” she added. “I also know how to write a story. And so I feel like that’s kind of where the magic of my music is. And I think that’s why I pay so much attention right now is because I’m kind of marrying both worlds of that. And I don’t know, it’s just kind of hitting.”
“And I mean, when I make music I’m just like, I wanna make music that I wanna listen to, that I feel like I’m missing in my Spotify playlist, you know? And I mean, this album kind of hit that for me.”
Dasha also detailed her decision to switch from pop to country music, reflected on her upbringing in a music-filled household, shared what was the inspiration behind her album, What Happens Now, revealed what’s next for her, and more.
Check it out in our full interview with Dasha, right here! And listen to her album, below.
