The Boogie Bomb began as a throwable item in Fortnite, the battle royale game from Epic Games, where throwing it made every player in its blast radius dance instead of fighting. Gameplay clips of whole squads suddenly dancing spread the item beyond the game, and short-form creators picked up its short disco burst as a shorthand for losing control of a scene. It remains in use because the sound instantly signals a forced dance break, much like the Fortnite default dance, and it needs no explanation for viewers who know the game.