From Benson Boone to Bad Bunny, Here's Why Singers Grab Their Crotch on Stage

We've all seen it before: A performer gets on stage, executes some gyrating dance move, and then grabs their crotch (and sometimes and gives a pelvic thrust). It can be shocking, sensual, provocative, or downright dominant.

You might ask yourself why this is such a popular move, and it's fair to wonder. After all, if the average person grabbed their crotch on the street, you'd probably back away. Maybe even call the police. So, why do singers grab their crotch, and why is it often so well received?

There are a few different reasons.

It's safe to say that this is a move executed more often by male performers than by female, but it's still a nearly universal phenomenon around the world. So, why does it happen?

It depends on the performer, their music, and their personality. During the 2026 Super Bowl, Bad Bunny's signature crotch grab caused swooning and criticism alike, prompting curiosity about the unusual gesture.

Back during the 2025 Grammys, Benson Boone famously grabbed his crotch and gave it a bit of a squeeze. A clip of the gesture broke the internet, and people went gaga over it. But Benson later clarified that he wasn't exactly trying to be provocative; he needed to adjust. Per Men's Journal, he later apologized in an Instagram story, writing, "Sorry for adjusting my jumpsuit so aggressively on stage tonight. That thing was extremely restricting in certain areas.”

Aside from the practical, there can be a few reasons for a performer to do it. It's a dominant gesture that fits with some performers, and it can be sensual or suggestive. But it can also be vulgar, shocking critics. But as Very Informed notes, there's something to be said for the fact that a lot of performers are simply emulating those who have come before them. They can all point in a straight line back through the years to one specific performer, whose gyrating hips shocked the world.

While he was far from the first artist to dance sensually on stage, Elvis Presley forever raised the bar for what audiences expected of performers.

And his hip-swinging sensuality was scandalous at the time.

But, as it turns out, it all came from a case of the nerves. According to Far Out Magazine, it all started during Elvis's first paid performance in 1954. He was so anxious that he couldn't stop shaking his legs, and he decided to use that involuntary shaking and make it look intentional.

He stepped back from the mic and gave his legs a little twist and thrust, sending the watching audience into a frenzy.

The dance sensation evolved from there. He was full of emotion and passion, and it vibrated all the way down through his legs. While Elvis wasn't the first sensual performer, his meteoric rise to superstardom forced the mainstream performing arts to reevaluate what audiences really want.

Whereas sexuality on stage was relatively taboo before Elvis, suddenly, he literally thrust it into the spotlight.

Elvis's hips grooved so Bad Bunny could grab his crotch. The evolution from saucy dance moves to outright displays of sensuality and dominance goes straight through decades of performers pushing the envelope, testing the waters, and responding to live fans.

While the dances on stage are far more provocative than when Elvis crooned "Hound Dog" and gave his audience the vapors, it all started from a case of the nerves and a performer brave enough to run with his quirks.