Entertainment
Does Serena Make A Cameo In "Hotline Bling"?
In case you have been living under a very large and secluded rock, Drake released his video for "Hotline Bling" on Monday night, and the Internet rightfully exploded. I was just minding my own business when I clicked on the link and the rest of my night succumbed to Drake's drunk Latin uncle dance moves (I have seen these many times before). Between the dancing, the pastel color palette, and that grey turtleneck, it's safe to say Drake fans will all be talking about this video for quite some time. One other thing fans on social media noticed was that the dancer at the end of the video looks suspiciously like Serena Williams. But is that Serena Williams in "Hotline Bling"?
I have to admit, I definitely had the thought when I first watched the video. The dancer has a similar body type to Williams' and was rocking a hat like the ones the tennis star has rocked before, so would it be so far fetched to think Drake got his friend/maybe-more-than-friend to appear in the video? I mean, I have never seen Williams dance before, but if she dances as well as she does everything else, she could easily be this good. As soon as the video for dropped, fans were very convinced Drake put his boo Serena in the video.
In the first shots we see of the dancer, she has a similar hairstyle to the one Williams often wears and an athletic baseball cap:
I can see how she could be mistaken for Williams, but in the end, it's not actually her. That said, I think Drake may have done this on purpose. A subtle shout out to his bae? I am here for it.
So, if the dancer in "Hotline Bling" isn't Williams, then who is she? According to Capital Xtra, it's Toronto choreographer and dancer, Tanisha Scott. Bustle has reached out to Scott's rep for comment, but has not yet heard back. Scott has previously worked with Rihanna, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Sean Paul. Scott choreographed and starred in Paul's video for "I'm Still In Love With You."
Scott is known for bringing dancehall moves into popular music, and if it is her in the video, her flavor definitely seems to have rubbed off on Drake's moves at the end of the vid. Fun fact: Both Sean Paul's and Drake's videos were directed by Director X, who is also from Toronto — seems like they like to keep it all in the family.
Some true fans out there recognized Scott:
So, Serena Williams isn't in "Hotline Bling", but she's the lucky one who gets to see those weird dance moves in the flesh if she wants, so I'm sure she's doing just fine. In the meantime, excuse me while I go watch the video for the 117th time.
