If one band was guaranteed to come out of Russia’s Coronavirus-imposed quarantine on top, it was probably Cream Soda: the group behind the now-prophetic hit, “No More Parties”.
As well as accidently penning a legitimate lockdown anthem six months before Covid-19 actually hit, the band has now launched Russia’s latest viral internet challenge: bringing a solo rave to your own balcony.
The craze follows the group’s remix of another Russian hit, “Crying to Techno” by musician Khleb: a synth-filled story heartbreak in the middle of a party:
“I’m crying at a techno party,
You’re not with me,
Tears are flowing at the rave.”
The viral video behind the track shows the band performing on small individual balconies. But they weren’t alone: Russian stars, including comedian Aleksandr Gudkov and Little Big dancer Dmitri Krasilov also appeared to show off their own fabulous outfits and dancing skills (all while maintaining Moscow’s strict social distancing guidelines). They’re seen strutting their stuff on balconies cluttered with old magazines, power tools, or, in true Eastern European tradition, out-of-season sports gear. The message is clear: don’t let a broken heart — or a global pandemic — stop you from dancing.
Social media soon picked up the challenge, with the whole of Russia filming their own balcony-dance floor routines.
Comedian Aiguzel Aznabaeva @aiguzel, at first seemingly skeptical of social media crazes, caved in:
@hamitov.art’s performance went beautifully until interrupted by an unsympathetic neighbour:
@katy0820 joined in from Barcelona:
@ragulinka offered a take from their country cottage:
But if there was a winner in this challenge, @mrs_gavrilova_alena and her flight attendant colleagues would be very strong contenders for first prize: