When a group of African kids posted a dance cover of Yethu from Moonwalk, the response they probably weren’t expecting was AR Rahman himself dropping a comment: “Thank you for the love. You guys are terrific.” The kids, performing as Hypers Kids Africa, wrote back: “Happy to see your comment. We love you too.”
That exchange captures something about where this song has landed. Two weeks after release, Yethu has crossed 11 million views on YouTube. Reels built around it have passed 100 million views collectively, with people from Japan, the US, UK, UAE, France, Sweden, and across Africa joining what’s become a global dance trend since January 27.
The track is composed and sung by Rahman, with Prabhu Deva leading the choreography in the video. Their pairing is the real story behind Moonwalk. Rahman and Prabhu Deva last worked together on Minsara Kanavu in 1997. Before that came Kaadhalan, Mr Romeo, and Love Birds, films whose songs essentially defined 90s Tamil pop culture. This is their first collaboration in nearly three decades.
Rahman sings all five tracks in Moonwalk, a first for him in a single film. The project also marks his acting debut.
Prabhu Deva’s choreography in the Yethu video has drawn its own share of attention. Dancers and musicians have been putting out their own versions, and the trend hasn’t slowed since it started three weeks ago.
Moonwalk is set for a theatrical release in Summer 2026.