Modern Music and the Evolution of Locking: Keeping the Groove Alive - a discussion with Chunky

In the ever-changing world of music, dancers are constantly finding new ways to adapt their movement to emerging sounds. The same holds true for Locking — a dance born in the Funk era of the 1970s — as it continues to evolve alongside today’s musical landscape. So has modern music influenced modern Locking? “Definitely. 100%,” says Chunky. “In my opinion, I think Locking should go with the times. Locking should be done to APT, Bruno Mars, all these trending songs. Yeah, it should have a place there.” Then and Now: Funk as the Foundation While Chunky fully supports the use of modern genres in Locking he emphasizes that dancers must first understand the roots of the dance. “It just so happens, in the 1970s the trending music was Funk,” he said. “You have to educate before you recreate. You gotta read the Holy Grail first before you can… make your own separate denomination.” In other words, foundational knowledge is essential. For dancers to push the style forward, they must first look back. “We can do it to Trap, Dubstep, Hip Hop. But if we don’t understand how the dance is done at the start with Funk music, it’s very hard to bring it forward.” Language, Accents, and Musical Expression To explain this idea further, Chunky draws a compelling analogy between dance and language: “When you learn English, you learn the vocabulary, right? A cup is a cup. But because you are French, you have a different accent. But the language stays the same.” He brings this example closer to home: “I’m Singaporean. I have a Singaporean English accent. But when I speak English… the structure of the words is still the same. I speak it with a different accent or slang.” This structure-versus-accent analogy perfectly captures how Locking can evolve — the form (vocabulary) stays intact, even as the flavor (accent) adapts to contemporary sounds. “I think that’s exactly what the Campbellock needs to be in the current context when it comes to music.” Learning from the Masters To illustrate this balance between tradition and innovation, Chunky gives examples of two prominent dancers: “Good example: Kai. When Kai teaches — Funk. When Kai performs — Jay Chou. Nobby. When Nobby teaches — Neo Soul, Acid Jazz, Funk. When he performs — sounds, soundscapes. He performs to random sounds.” The message? A strong foundation in funk music gives dancers the ability to authentically explore modern music in performance, without losing the essence of Locking. Respecting the Roots While Moving Forward Modern adaptations are not only welcome, but vital to keeping the dance relevant — especially for younger dancers. “I think the younger generation should continue to dance to new music,” Chunky says, referencing NTU Soul Funky’s performance at FOTG 2025 to a J-pop track. “It’s not something that I like, but I can appreciate and I can be down on that because they’re using the Locking vocabulary to make it current in the context of today’s youths. I think that’s powerful.” However, he notes that innovation should not come at the expense of depth: “These dancers — do they spend enough time with the original foundations? That’s another question. I think their techniques can still be refined further, [and] when they learn, they learn it the old school way.” Final Thoughts In short, Locking must keep evolving, and that evolution naturally includes embracing new music. But its growth is only meaningful when dancers remain grounded in the roots of the dance. “Like Shabba Doo said, if there’s a beat, you can dance to it. But the first beat was a Funk track — Funk music. So I’ll always say: go back first. Once you are sound already, then you can bring it forward.”