Smooth Criminal comes from Michael Jackson's Bad album, released in 1987 and issued as a single in 1988. The song and its short film became famous for their gangster-movie staging, sharp choreography and the anti-gravity lean, which helped it stay in popular culture long after its chart run. Online, short clips of its opening groove are reused in dance videos, memes and dramatic edits because the rhythm is instantly recognisable even without the vocals. That instant recognition keeps the excerpt circulating across social platforms.