3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How ‘Boots on the Ground' Two-Stepped Onto Everyone's Summer Playlist
Wagener, S.C., is home to a population of 631, a proud history of asparagus crops and now an unlikely dance phenomenon.
To write 'Boots on the Ground,' the stomping, midtempo anthem with a wailing chorus, also known as 'Where Them Fans At?,' the singer 803Fresh, born Douglas Furtick, lifted a bit of vernacular from the dancers who attend trail rides in the area. Those rides — part horsemanship display, part social gathering — frequently culminate in field parties, where line dancers and steppers show off choreographed moves to Southern soul and country anthems.
'I heard a lot of the steppers: They were like, 'Hey, we got boots on the ground tonight,'' 803Fresh said, describing how they would hype up a trail ride to friends and neighbors. The song's central query was a genuine one. At one outing, he saw steppers wielding fans and tried to buy one — to no avail. Writing the lyrics, he said, he did not yet fully understand the significance of the fans that were ubiquitous.
'It's a functional piece that's now being used as part of a cultural statement but it's always been with us historically,' said DaLyah Jones, a historian and cultural critic who has studied Black Southern arts. She cited their use as a fashionable accessory carried to church, in queer and ballroom culture, and as a functional way to beat the heat at these outdoor gatherings. Items such as napkins and handkerchiefs have also been used as fans and an extension of the dancing.
Since the release of 'Boots on the Ground' in December, the song has steadily spread in an unusual way: Its accompanying line dance has made it a sensation both of social media and the I.R.L. gatherings where a community of Black Southerners could care less about outside trends. It has traveled beyond field dances to TikTok and back out into the world, most notably landing on the stage of Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' tour, where the pop superstar performs part of the line dance during a section of her show.
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