An Ode to the Boston Lip Dub

Lip dubbing is a quintessential 21st century activity: dancing and lip-syncing in front of a camera for 15 seconds of YouTube fame. The craze has caught on, probably because people of all dancing and singing abilities can be a part of the fun — so long as they don’t fudge the lyrics. The most recent lip dub to grab the spotlight made the rounds a few weeks ago with the first-ever lip dub proposal. (Watch it here. Try not to cry, I challenge you.)

The lip dub has proven especially fun and useful for college students seeking attention. They show off school spirit, student-body flair, and campus activities all while giving an enthusiastic peek inside the school, campus, or university life. Some of the best university lip dubs have come out of the Boston area. Here’s a look back at some Boston lip dub highlights:

Harvard (May 6, 2012):

This most recent Boston lip dub sensation is from Harvard’s baseball team. Clocking in at nearly 12 million views, it may be the area’s most successful dub to date. Carly Rae Jepsen’s single “Call Me Maybe” is enough to grab our attention, but the car-confined choreography of the players is what really takes the cake.

Emerson (December 8, 2010):

Emerson may be a tiny campus along the Common, but it served up Boston’s grandest lip dub in late 2010. The video incorporates seamless scene-changes through computer screens and flashing cameras and runs a whopping nine minutes long. Featuring a handful of Lady Gaga’s chart-topping singles, it plays more like a Mother Monster tribute than a campus-tour lip dub. Sadly, audio has been disabled due to copyright.

Boston University (December 14, 2009 & April 22, 2010):

BU’s 2009 lip dub was catchy and fun, highlighting two Jackson 5 classics, “I Want You Back” and “ABC.” It quickly sparked success with its infectious throwback groove. Their 2010 effort featured music by Ke$ha. Jackson 5 wins.

Suffolk University (November 13, 2009):

The first Boston-school lip dub to gain Internet traction was Suffolk University’s 2009 clip. Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” is the featured number here, which proves to be lip dub perfection with fantastic vocals and danceable beats.