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Every K-pop routine in ‘Just Dance’, ranked
Every K-pop routine in ‘Just Dance’, ranked
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K-pop choreography is often as iconic as the idols themselves, with popular moves such as Blackpink’s “DDU-DU DDU-DU” finger guns and Oh My Girl’s “Dolphin” hands recognised even outside fandom. It’s common in K-pop for songs to have official dance routines, performances which fans quickly become familiar with and sometimes even learn to dance themselves.
As such, K-pop seems like a perfect match for Just Dance, Ubisoft’s popular rhythm game series. In Just Dance, players mirror an onscreen guide as they dance to various songs, while the game tracks their moves and awards them points according to how accurate they are. It’s a fun way to get moving while enjoying some of your favourite songs, particularly if jogging isn’t your thing.
However, Just Dance‘s K-pop routines aren’t always technically accurate themselves. While some do reference the official K-pop choreography, deviation is often necessary due to issues such as safety, practicality, and intellectual property rights.
“We tried to use iconic dance moves, but we’re not always allowed to replicate the whole choreography,” said Ubisoft Asia managing director Steve Miller, speaking to UnGeek about Just Dance‘s K-pop routines.
Fortunately, Just Dance doesn’t completely rechoreograph every K-pop song it includes, and is sometimes able to use segments of the original dances even if it can’t use it all. Still, some Just Dance K-pop routines are better than others, whether because they adhere more closely to the official choreography, follow the spirit of the dance, look impressive, or are just plain fun.
Ranked in ascending order, here is every K-pop dance routine in Just Dance.
32. ‘Bubble Pop!’ by Hyuna (Bubblegum Version)
Hyuna’s “Bubble Pop!” is an addictive, confident bop about a woman telling a man to stop trying to change her. I have to assume Ubisoft was unaware of this when planning the choreography for Just Dance‘s Bubblegum Version.
The mind-numbingly simple moves and planned pratfalls in this Just Dance routine would best suit very young children, particularly as they’re repeated ad infinitum. Even so, I hesitate to recommend it since the dance also requires players to collide with each other. This may work when you’re wearing a large plush gumball costume, but could quickly end in tears for unpadded kids playing at home.
Just Dance‘s Bubblegum Version of “Bubble Pop!” is basically the routine you pick when you’re trying to hide your self-consciousness and lack of enthusiasm with goofy slapstick. (It isn’t working, by the way. Everyone knows.)
31. ‘Gentleman’ by Psy
The pivotal move of Psy’s official “Gentleman” choreography is the chorus’ hip swing. One arm crossed over his body, the other resting atop to support the chin, Psy ponderously sways his hips side to side like rocking a baby’s bassinet. It’s genius in its simplicity, and a move you’d think is difficult to get wrong.
Yet Just Dance finds a way. The game does get the arm positioning right, as well as the crablike arms-up movement that immediately follows. Yet rather than a playful hip swing, Just Dance‘s guide thrusts his pelvis forward like a creepy little sex goblin, and it is horrible to behold.
The rest of the routine is dull, uninspired, and features a lot of slapping your own butt. You can practically smell the deep personal insecurities reeking from this Just Dance choreography.
30. ‘Fancy’ by Twice
Just Dance‘s choreography of Twice’s “Fancy” was widely derided by K-pop fans when first revealed, and with good reason. Though the beginning is vaguely promising, with finger twirls reminiscent of the official dance, it quickly devolves into a dull routine that is closer to striking a series of embarrassing poses than actually dancing.
Some possible influence from Twice’s original choreography is still visible if you really hunt for it, such as in the knee movement during the chorus. But overall, Just Dance‘s tediously repetitive effort feels like somebody saw a K-pop music show once out of the corner of their eye while eating at a Korean restaurant. The use of hand hearts in this context seems particularly disingenuous.
It’s a terrible disservice to a terrific song, and a real missed opportunity.
29. ‘Feel Special’ by Twice
Just Dance‘s “Feel Special” routine is also a far cry from Twice’s original choreography, however it’s noticeably more lively than Ubisoft’s attempt at “Fancy.” We take the victories where we can find them.
Like “Fancy,” Just Dance‘s “Feel Special” routine isn’t terribly inspired and will definitely make you feel like a big dork. Still, its higher energy gives it an edge over Twice’s previous 2019 single. The more glaring issue weighing “Feel Special” down is just how hard Just Dance‘s choreography only works the right side of your body. Even if you’re having fun, following this dance will inevitably leave you feeling lopsided.
Just Dance‘s rendition of “Feel Special” isn’t spectacular, but it’s still kinda fun and better than “Fancy.” I am aware this is not a high bar.
28. ‘I Am The Best (내가 제일 잘 나가)’ by 2NE1 (Extreme Version)
I’ve typically found Just Dance‘s Extreme Versions to be more in line with K-pop songs’ original dances than the game’s standard versions. This is not the case for 2NE1’s “I Am The Best.”
I couldn’t identify any moves from the original “I Am The Best” choreography in this Just Dance routine, to the point where if I didn’t know better I might think Ubisoft never even saw 2NE1’s performance. The group’s original choreography has a definite feminine power to it, emphasising lyrics that boast about how incredibly hot they are. In contrast, the more masculine Just Dance guide inexplicably waves a spear about before punching the air.
If I were evaluating this Just Dance routine without any reference to 2NE1’s performance, it might have rated higher. Ubisoft just misunderstood the assignment on this one.
27. ‘Bubble Pop!’ by Hyuna
Dancing to “Bubble Pop!” without performing Hyuna’s famous choreography is akin to dancing to “The Time Warp” without actually doing the Time Warp. Yet not only does Just Dance do away with Hyuna’s teasing straight-armed move on each “ooh,” it also fails to include the vital swivel-pop of her hips and chest as she sings the song’s title. This should be a crime.
Fortunately, though Just Dance loses the assertive sass of Hyuna’s classic 2011 performance, the bouncy tween entertainer vibe the game utilises instead still works in its own way. It may not have the iconic original “Bubble Pop!” choreography, but it’s fun and keeps the energy up.
Just Dance doesn’t even try to emulate Hyuna, which does make it weaker, but you kind of have to respect the decision.
26. ‘Daddy’ by Psy feat. CL of 2NE1 (Father and Son Version)
In terms of accuracy when compared to the original performance, Just Dance‘s Father and Son Version of “Daddy” ranks fairly low. There are a few scant moments here and there that look like they could have drawn something from Psy’s choreography if you squint really hard, but overall Ubisoft appears to have just taken the title of the song and gone off on its own tangent.
Just Dance‘s Father and Son “Daddy” is more about having fun with a friend or child than recreating Psy’s performance. Moves are kept simple enough for a child to follow along, and lively enough to keep them interested. Still, it isn’t as though Psy’s chorus moves in particular don’t fit those criteria, and his choreography is rather famous.
This Just Dance routine is fine for its intended purpose. But like an underachieving child, it just doesn’t accomplish all that it could.
25. ‘Ice Cream’ by Blackpink feat. Selena Gomez
This Just Dance routine barely seems to refer to Blackpink’s official “Ice Cream” choreography, which is disappointing considering many of the moves would have fit nicely into the format. Just Dance‘s K-pop routines are typically simplified so the average non-idol can follow along, but it’d be nice if there were at least a few nods to the original here and there.
Ubisoft’s “Ice Cream” choreography feels fairly average, though it livens up considerably during the dance break. Fortunately “Ice Cream” isn’t Blackpink’s most iconic nor recognisable performance, so this video game interpretation doesn’t suffer from missing famous signature moves. Blackpink itself hasn’t even performed “Ice Cream” on stage, and the group’s official choreography video uses animated Zepeto avatars.
Still, “Ice Cream” isn’t a Just Dance routine you’d really be excited for unless you’re already a Blackpink fan.
24. ‘Gentleman’ by Psy (Sweat Version)
It isn’t really fair to judge the Sweat Version of “Gentleman” against other Just Dance songs. This routine’s primary aim is to get people exercising, so of course it will deviate from the original K-pop choreography. Comparing it to other routines would be like comparing an aerobics class to a dance class.
I’m going to do it anyway.
Just Dance‘s “Gentleman” involves a lot of big, punchy, energetic choreography that will likely tire you out quickly, but is pretty fun to do. The only element of the original routine it adopts is Psy’s pensive, wide-stanced hip swing, so it loses marks for overall inaccuracy. Even so, the one move the game kept is also the only move that really matters. The key points of Psy’s “Gentleman” performance are a rowdy atmosphere and an iconic hip swing, and Just Dance‘s Sweat Version delivers both.
23. ‘Daddy’ by Psy feat. CL of 2NE1
Just Dance‘s version of “Daddy” by Psy feat. CL of 2NE1 was released on Just Dance 2017 alongside the Father and Son Version, with both currently only available in that game. It doesn’t seem worth hunting down a copy.
Like many of Just Dance‘s early routines, “Daddy” feels like it was made before Ubisoft started taking K-pop entirely seriously — though to be fair, Psy doesn’t take it seriously either. Most of the chorus is more or less correct, including the important side-on galloping movement, however the verses bear absolutely no resemblance to Psy’s original choreography. Instead, they are replaced by moves that I can only describe as “sexy gendered jazzercise”.
The discrepancy in between the verses and chorus made Just Dance‘s “Daddy” difficult to rank, and in fact I wanted to put it lower. Yet I have to reluctantly give it props for its moments of accuracy and overall energy.
22. ‘New Face’ by Psy
As a Just Dance routine, Ubisoft’s rendition of “New Face” is fine. The moves are big, simple, and repetitiously easy to follow — an easy dance for less advanced dancers. But in comparison to Psy’s original choreography, it feels disappointing.
In particular, Just Dance‘s use of feminine choreography for the side dancers and masculine choreography for Psy’s stand in seems unnecessary, particularly considering the original used similar energetic moves for all dancers regardless of gender. I’m also not a fan of Just Dance routines that make you pick a “leader” from your friend group, which just creates unnecessary social divides. All my friend groups are egalitarian.
Just Dance does get Psy’s train-like arm chug and subsequent dab during “dugeun dugeun dugeun” right, as well as the pivotal “new face” move in the chorus. However, the oversimplification of other choreography makes these moments of accuracy not enough to win it a higher ranking.
21. ‘I Am The Best (내가 제일 잘 나가)’ by 2NE1
Aside from the easily identifiable wrist movement on “bam ra-ta-ta-ta-ta”, Just Dance‘s standard “I Am The Best” routine barely follows 2NE1’s original choreography. Even so, it definitely matches the spirit of the original more closely than the game’s Extreme Version.
Ubisoft’s “I Am The Best” routine has a similar confident energy to 2NE1’s original, but is more like a cousin than a twin. It largely avoids paying direct homage or replicating choreography, despite many of 2NE1’s moves seeming as though they’d be reasonable for Just Dance players to attempt (particularly if slowed down or tweaked).
Still, Just Dance‘s “I Am The Best” routine is relatively fun and energetic, and doesn’t clash with the song’s vibe. If 2NE1 didn’t already have official choreography for this dance, this effort would be more passable.
20. ‘Kick It’ by NCT 127
To be fair to Ubisoft, this feels like a tough one. If I had to translate NCT 127’s official “Kick It” choreography into Just Dance form I’m not sure where I’d even start. The dance doesn’t have many distinct, easily identifiable and repeated moves that the game can lift, frequently focusing on supporting the member who’s singing rather than showing itself off. Instead of strict and striking choreography, this performance delivers an overall vibe.
Even so, Just Dance does include some definite nods to NCT 127’s choreography, most prominently in the raised arm groove to “new thangs.” Further, when most of NCT 127 clear the stage in favour of two members, Just Dance‘s four guides split off into pairs.
It would have been nice if Just Dance‘s chorus choreography was more accurate, but it’s difficult to replicate NCT 127’s moves after removing their confident flow.
19. ‘Kick It’ by NCT 127 (Extreme Version)
Just Dance‘s Extreme Version of NCT 127’s “Kick It” runs into some of the same problems as the standard routine, however it does a much better job of matching the K-pop group’s original energy. I was also pleasantly surprised to see moves that were analogous to the original choreography once “Kick It” hit its second verse. Usually Just Dance K-pop routines are their most accurate in the chorus, so this was delightfully unexpected.
As with Just Dance‘s standard “Kick It” routine, the solo guide also raises his arms on “new thangs” and eschews NCT 127’s floorwork. But even without having to throw themselves on the ground, your standard Just Dance player will still probably find the NCT 127-adjacent choreography challenging enough to keep up with.
18. ‘Crayon (크레용)’ by G-Dragon
While G-Dragon does have dancers performing around him during “Crayon,” many of his own movements are less dance and more pure swag. Just Dance therefore takes most of its choreography inspiration from the dancers, albeit at half the speed.
The game replicates the original “Crayon” choreography from part of the chorus pretty closely, and its influence on the rest is apparent. Even so, I just couldn’t get over Just Dance‘s opening moves. The first few lines in “Crayon” translate to “head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” with G-Dragon touching each respective body part in time. Yet Just Dance‘s much slower guide stops at his head and shoulders, before touching his heels on the “swag check.” It’s incomplete and wrong, and I cannot forgive it.
Though Just Dance‘s “Crayon” looks like it was choreographed without any knowledge of what the lyrics were saying, it does still match the general vibe of “Crayon” (which is clearly about how cool G-Dragon is). But it still loses points for failing to reach G-Dragon’s level of swag.
17. ‘Bang Bang Bang’ by Big Bang
Just Dance got the chorus choreography for “Bang Bang Bang” pretty right, however the rest of the routine drags its score down. To be fair, much like in member G-Dragon’s “Crayon” performance, a lot of Big Bang’s official choreography relies more on their dancers than the group members themselves. This may have made Ubisoft feel a bit more free to experiment.
My main beef is that there are several moves during the verses of Big Bang’s routine that it would have been simple enough to approximate, as they aren’t prohibitively vigorous nor complicated. Their absence may be down to a rights issue, but it’s notable.
That isn’t to say the powerful replacement choreography isn’t fun though — potentially even more fun than a perfect one-to-one recreation would have been. I can still see the original routine’s vague influence, and was surprised by how much of Just Dance‘s “Bang Bang Bang choreography landed somewhat in the vicinity of okay, maintaining the spirit of the dance if not the exact moves.
16. ‘Come Back Home’ by 2NE1
“Come Back Home” is more difficult to translate to a Just Dance routine than some other K-pop songs, as much of 2NE1’s focus in this performance is on their vocals. The members do still dance, however this is another song where the majority of the choreography during the verses is left to the dancers performing around them.
Fortunately, Just Dance took what it was given and ran with it. Much of 2NE1’s original routine is clearly identifiable in the chorus, such as the skipping move and the straight-armed point to the sky. But even when the original moves aren’t perfectly recreated, their influence on the substituted choreography is apparent.
Just Dance doesn’t follow the dancers during the verses, but the moves it substitutes neatly fit in among the original choreography, recreating the atmosphere of the original “Come Back Home” performance.
15. ‘BOOMBAYAH’ by Blackpink
The standard Just Dance choreography for Blackpink’s “BOOMBAYAH” confronted me with a difficult conundrum that I hadn’t anticipated: Do I mark down a routine purely due to terrible camerawork?
Ubisoft’s “BOOMBAYAH” choreography itself is energetic enough, even if it doesn’t follow Blackpink’s official dance as closely as it could. The guide dancer includes some easily recognisable moves from the original “BOOMBAYAH” routine , such as the hand-flicking at the bridge and the backward arm wheels during the chorus, but continues to repeat them long after the Blackpink has moved on. This is a common Just Dance tactic to simplify dances, however players probably could have handled the shift to sideways arm wheels at the very least.
Yet it’s the frequent zooming and shifting of the camera that feels more frustrating, distracting from the choreography as though Ubisoft is trying to hide. Blackpink’s “BOOMBAYAH” isn’t the only Just Dance K-pop routine to suffer from the series’ more dynamic approach to framing in recent installments, but it is one of the more obvious victims.
14. ‘Bang Bang Bang’ by Big Bang (Extreme Version)
Right at the start of the Extreme Version of “Bang Bang Bang,” the Just Dance guide claps overhead at the same speed as the original choreography, rather than the half speed of the game’s standard routine. I found this immensely satisfying, and felt as though a great wrong had finally been set right.
The dance quickly follows up with a nod to the original’s steering wheel choreography, which seems to bode well. However, it seems Just Dance used up its chorus accuracy quota on the standard version of “Bang Bang Bang,” leaving the most iconic part of the choreography to suffer. The overall influence of the original moves is clear, but Just Dance‘s end result just looks like a Big Bang routine from a mirror universe.
“Bang Bang Bang” Extreme Version still ranks higher than the standard version due to the tributes peppered throughout, but it’s a close call.
13. ‘DRUM GO DUM’ by K/DA feat. Aluna, Wolftyla, and Bekuh Boom
Just Dance categorises “DRUM GO DUM” as K-pop, which is a bit like calling Avatar: The Last Airbender an anime. Still, K/DA did originate as a virtual K-pop group, and the Just Dance routine pays homage to its roots with the inclusion of a finger heart — a gesture that has become synonymous with the genre.
Unlike many other songs on this list, “DRUM GO DUM” doesn’t have a widely recognised routine performed by the artist. Instead its performance video features dancer Bailey Sok, whose skills are clearly leagues beyond that of the average Just Dance player. In light of this, I didn’t expect Just Dance‘s “DRUM GO DUM” to follow the official dance video at all.
It was thus a pleasant surprise to see a lot of Sok’s influence in Just Dance‘s rendition of the song, and especially in how closely it recreated the chorus. It’s a very good effort, particularly considering the difficulty of the dance.
12. ‘Jopping’ by SuperM
For the uninitiated, “jopping” is when you are jumping and popping, simultaneously. This makes for a fairly energetic K-pop routine.
Just Dance‘s rendition of SuperM’s “Jopping” largely follows the spirit more than the detail of the K-pop supergroup’s performance, though it does faithfully recreate important segments such as the chorus. SuperM’s enthusiastic dedication to the combination of jumping and popping has clearly inspired the choreography throughout, with Just Dance‘s solo guide dancer doing his utmost to embody the energy of all seven K-pop idols at once.
While SuperM’s performance is geared toward putting on a good performance for their fans, Just Dance‘s “Jopping” is clearly more dedicated to making a powerful and fun dance. It may not be that accurate to the original choreography, but you can’t really begrudge it.
11. ‘Black Mamba’ by Aespa
This routine is Just Dance 2022 hustling. Ubisoft knows full well that it’s going to nail Aespa’s “Black Mamba” choreography later in the Extreme Version, so the Alternate Version is happy to stray from the official routine and come up with whatever moves it feels like.
Though Just Dance‘s “Black Mamba” Alternate Version largely invents its own choreography, it still keeps some of Aespa’s such as the little temper tantrum on “aya ya ya ya ya ya.” It also stays within the spirit of the original performance, refraining from drastically reimagining “Black Mamba” as a song about a beleaguered zookeeper for example.
Just Dance‘s Alternate Version of “Black Mamba” is basically what the dance might look like in some alternate universe where all the members of Aespa were squished into just one hardworking soloist.
10. ‘Gangnam Style’ by Psy
Psy’s official choreography for “Gangnam Style” seems as though it’d fit Just Dance‘s style without too much alteration. The routine is packed with big, silly, fun moves which are relatively easy for amateur dancers to follow, and Psy’s famous galloping horse dance gives the choreography a catchy hook.
Though Just Dance‘s choreography isn’t exactly in line with the official routine, it effectively catches the comedic spirit of the moves, and the chorus is almost spot on. It’s clear Ubisoft’s choreography took inspiration from Psy’s routine throughout, and even switched between male and female guide dancers to match the official “Gangnam Style” performance.
It’s a shame that Ubisoft didn’t follow the official choreography more closely. But then again, most people probably wouldn’t recognise if they did. We’re all just here for the horse dance.
9. ‘DDU-DU DDU-DU’ by Blackpink
Just Dance‘s “DDU-DU DDU-DU” routine could have just stopped at replicating Blackpink’s iconic finger gun choreography and probably would have gotten away with it. Fortunately Ubisoft went a step further than that, not only approximating other moves, but also recreating group choreography I hadn’t expected them to attempt.
This included choreography in the first verse that saw Blackpink’s members entwined with each other, and a move at the bridge that had the dancers line up and lean over each other. Granted, the choreography isn’t perfectly recreated or always in time with Blackpink’s original routine, but the fact that Just Dance includes it at all is commendable.
Most of the original “DDU-DU DDU-DU” choreography Just Dance tries to copy has been noticeably modified and simplified, and overall the game guides’ performance isn’t quite as impactful or energetic as Blackpink’s. But then again, it isn’t really a fair comparison.
8. ‘Kill This Love’ by Blackpink
Just Dance starts “Kill This Love” pretty well, with four guides copying Blackpink in slapping their thighs and torsos with open palms (though once again at half the speed of the original routine). This opening was promising enough that I initially thought the routine would rank higher.
However, while the chorus of Just Dance‘s routine does kind of follow Blackpink’s official choreography, the performances are more like cousins than siblings overall. For example, while Just Dance shares the militaristic spirit of “Kill This Love,” it’s primarily carried by copious amounts of marching and saluting absent from Blackpink’s routine.
The original choreography doesn’t seem as though it would have been too difficult for Just Dance players to follow a bit more faithfully. Though even if it was, it isn’t as though difficult routines have ever stopped the game before.
7. ‘Kill This Love’ by Blackpink (Extreme Version)
The Extreme Version of “Kill This Love” utilises just one guide dancer instead of four, which would seem to put it at a disadvantage when compared to the regular version. Blackpink is a four-member group, after all.
However, Just Dance more than makes up for the lack of “Kill This Love” guides by offering up a spot on recreation of the song’s entire chorus choreography. While the game’s regular version of “Kill This Love” only vaguely followed Blackpink at the chorus before deviating, the Extreme Version sticks much more closely to the official routine. It’s a significant point in its favour considering how iconic the “Kill This Love” chorus choreography is.
Unfortunately, the rest of the routine is basically just waiting for the chorus. This leaves the Extreme Version of “Kill This Love” only just inching ahead of the non-Extreme Version, which definitely doesn’t nail the chorus but is generally more in the spirit of the dance.
6. ‘Monster’ by EXO
I was shocked by just how good Just Dance‘s version of EXO’s “Monster” is. Right from the start you can see that Ubisoft closely refers to and follows the original choreography, and continues to do so throughout the entire song. The game even includes some of EXO’s floorwork, which you’d think would be one of the first things cut when adapting K-pop choreography for Just Dance.
That isn’t to say Ubisoft doesn’t modify EXO’s routine to be more friendly to amateur dancers. For example, a move where one member jumps over the other is changed so that the player simply jumps in the air. There are also the standard modifications for moves that wouldn’t be as visually striking when performed by Just Dance‘s reduced number of dancers.
But overall, Just Dance remains fairly faithful to the original “Monster” routine, making it similar enough to the original to satisfy even the most diehard EXO fans.
5. ‘POP/STARS’ by K/DA feat. Madison Beer, (G)I-dle and Jaira Burns
Just Dance does a great job with the costuming for its “POP/STARS” routine, dressing its four guide dancers as the four K/DA members and League of Legends characters Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai’Sa. Fortunately the similarities to the original don’t end at aesthetics.
K/DA’s choreography is full of clear and memorable moves, particularly at the chorus, so it’s easy to recognise them recreated in Just Dance. Ubisoft stays close to the original’s spirit and choreography, ensuring the most iconic moves are largely unchanged while simplifying others and paying homage to K/DA’s performance. Even with the variations, it’s a fun routine that feels close enough to K/DA’s original to make gamers happy.
However, I don’t understand the bizarre decision to switch up the crown choreography near the end, even when K/DA themselves don’t. It’s a miniscule point, but it also jumped out at me due to the pure lack of necessity. I can only presume it’s due to a rights issue, as I can’t think of any other reason to both throw off players and stray from the original at once.
“POP/STARS” is also another Just Dance routine that suffers from questionable camerawork, zooming in until one of the guide dancers’ legs are largely framed out during the rap verse. It doesn’t matter that their feet aren’t moving much — if I’m meant to follow the dancer, I want to see the whole dancer.
4. ‘Jopping’ by SuperM (Extreme Version)
There’s a certain point in “Jopping” where SuperM sings “left” and “right” while moving stage left or right respectively. The guide dancers in Just Dance‘s Extreme “Jopping” routine have reversed this choreography, instead moving to the left and right from the audience’s perspective so players mirroring them are in line with SuperM’s moves. The moment I realised why they’d made this change felt like the moment a child suddenly understands why their parents made them take swimming lessons.
Just Dance‘s “Jopping” Extreme Version is an excellent routine in general, being one of the tracks that sticks relatively closely to the original K-pop choreography and very closely to the vibe. Ubisoft even utilises its three guide dancers to emulate some of SuperM’s group formations, which is always a delight to see. Changes to the choreography are largely to make the routine more achievable, such as skipping the floorwork and tweaking moves that put the group’s backs to their audience.
But it’s the directional reversal that makes it feel as though Ubisoft really thought about the best way to translate SuperM’s moves.
3. ‘BOOMBAYAH’ by Blackpink (Extreme Version)
Of all K-pop artists, Blackpink’s songs have the most Just Dance routines. And among all these Blackpink routines, the Extreme Version of “BOOMBAYAH” excels.
This routine gets off to a good start with four guide dancers — one each for members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. (The opening close up shots may be strange and unnecessary, but it could be worse.) It then draws obvious inspiration from Blackpink’s moves throughout, varying between impressively delightful accuracy and clear homage. The chorus in particular is very close to the original “BOOMBAYAH” choreography, and Just Dance even includes some of Blackpink’s floorwork, having one dancer slide along the floor between a tunnel of the others’ legs.
However, Just Dance routine’s ranking is slightly pulled down due to the obvious omission of several group formations. To be fair, Blackpink’s choreography can get quite complicated, and trying to copy positioning could get frustrating for players. It also makes sense to get rid of moves such as the lift, considering the high likelihood of injury to enthusiastic amateur acrobats. Many of Just Dance‘s alterations are sensible, practical, and probably the right choice to keep an already difficult routine achievable.
I was just excited to see a 1:1 recreation. It feels like all the ingredients for perfection were there.
2. ‘Feel Special’ by Twice (Extreme Version)
Twice’s “Feel Special” Extreme Version is the Just Dance K-pop routine fans wish all Just Dance‘s solo K-pop routines could be. The routine follows Twice’s official “Feel Special” choreography almost to a T, seamlessly switching to match whichever member is the focus of the group’s formation.
It isn’t an exact recreation, of course, as the game only has one guide dancer to Twice’s nine members. Just Dance also doesn’t make you learn new choreography every time Twice switch it up, sticking to the same moves at each bridge and keeping it a bit easier to follow. But it’s excellent for a one-person rendition, and greatly exceeds expectations.
The main difficulty with Just Dance‘s “Feel Special” routine is whether players are actually able to follow along. Officially choreographed K-pop dances aren’t simple, meaning it’ll take some time to learn this Just Dance routine. Even so, it’ll be incredibly satisfying once you nail it. If you’re hoping to join a K-pop cover dance crew, Just Dance‘s Extreme Version of Twice’s “Feel Special” could help you get a head start.
1. ‘Black Mamba’ by Aespa (Extreme Version)
Just Dance‘s “Black Mamba” Extreme Version uses three guide dancers, which is strange considering Aespa is a four-member group. This is pretty much the only thing I can fault about it.
This routine is practically perfect in terms of similarity to the original. Just Dance takes full advantage of having more than one guide dancer in the Extreme Version of “Black Mamba” by copying all of Aespa’s moves, regardless of whether members are the focus of the formation or not. This makes it one of Just Dance‘s most comprehensive K-pop covers, and doesn’t leave players who aren’t currently being spotlighted feeling as though they’re just marking time.
If I wanted to nitpick I might say that Ubisoft turned one wave move into more of a line, and refrains from some of the routine’s shuffling repositioning of dancers, but these are such minor notes that they almost aren’t worth mentioning. I imagine more than a few Aespa fans will pick up a copy of Just Dance 2022 for this routine alone.
Just Dance 2022 and subscription service Just Dance Unlimited are available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia.