The early 2010s have been an period of immediate hits. From the “Harlem Shake” to “Party Rock Anthem”, digital platforms ushered in a brand new period of publicity – and virality.
On July 15, 2012, South Korean singer and rapper Psy broke onto the global music scene with a shiny blue tuxedo, an unforgettable horse-riding dance and an lively beat that dropped to the catchy lyric, “Oppan Gangnam style.”
“Gangnam Style” quickly went viral, making waves around the globe. The track hijacked the airwaves, the music video flooded Facebook timelines and Psy’s slicked-back hair and sun shades confirmed up on American late-night reveals. The track debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in September, earlier than climbing to quantity 2 weeks later. It additionally grew to become the primary video to hit 1 billion views on YouTube.
Psy, who was already standard in his residence nation however barely recognized globally, shortly grew to become one of the vital recognizable artists on this planet. Within a 12 months, he had damaged three Guinness World Records and was performing at New York’s Madison Square Garden with Madonna. For the then-35-year-old from Seoul, the whirlwind success was one thing he might have by no means imagined.
In an interview forward of the track’s 10-year anniversary, he compares that interval of his life to celebrating a birthday. “On the day before, you’re excited in anticipation,” he tells NCS from the Seoul headquarters of P-Nation, the file label and leisure company he based in 2018. “And then on the day of … it’s all a little wild and crazy.”
But the track’s influence stretched far past the music trade. In reality, the success of “Gangnam Style” is taken into account a serious catalyst within the “Korean wave”, or “hallyu”, a time period describing the current proliferation of Korean culture internationally – one thing the South Korean authorities has been making an attempt to push by means of music and media for the reason that Nineteen Nineties.
According to Gyu Tag Lee, an affiliate professor of cultural research specializing in Okay-pop and hallyu at George Mason University’s South Korean campus, it was “Gangnam Style” that gave Korean pop culture mainstream recognition outdoors of East Asia.
“These kinds of going-viral-on-the-internet media platforms, (such as) YouTube, made K-pop and hallyu really popular and big overseas,” he says.
Fast ahead a decade and South Korean skills have reached new ranges of global reputation and fandom.
Okay-pop band BTS was the world’s top-selling musical act in 2021, and the group has since carried out at the Grammys and made an look at the White House to debate Asian illustration and anti-Asian hate crimes. Girl group Blackpink, in the meantime, has carried out at the Coachella music competition and collaborated with the likes of Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez, with its 4 members all becoming a member of main manufacturers or luxurious style homes as ambassadors.
Lee believes that these extremely profitable Okay-pop acts are following in Psy’s footsteps by utilizing shareable video content material to achieve global audiences.
“Without the big hit that was ‘Gangnam Style,’ there may not have been BTS, there may not have been Blackpink,” Lee says.
BTS has typically cited – and thanked – Psy for serving to globalize Okay-pop. One of the boy band’s members, Suga, even co-produced and featured on “That That” , the lead single from the Psy’s new album, “Psy 9th”. Like “Gangnam Style”, the track is catchy and danceable, whereas the music video options a few of the singer’s signature humor and has already garnered greater than 272 million views on YouTube.
In a behind-the-scenes video interview, posted to Psy’s YouTube account, Suga expresses his gratitude for the “Gangnam Style” singer.
“He paved the way for K-pop in the US, which allowed (BTS) to follow that path more comfortably,” Suga says.
And the appreciation is mutual. “I think it’s an incredible feat,” Psy says of BTS’ success. “Every single part of me applauds them and is cheering them on. That heavy burden that I felt in 2012 – BTS has been shouldering that for six or seven years now.”
For Psy, there has all the time been one other facet to his global success. As excited and comfortable as he was throughout these “Gangnam Style” days, he stated that performing and being on the street left him feeling “just too overwhelmed” and “a little empty inside.”
Fame additionally caused new expectations – and the strain to make extra hits.
“When the song is a hit, then your songs need to continue to be hits,” he says. “When the person is a hit, the success is more sustainable. In this case, I’m the former and BTS is the latter.”
While Psy by no means replicated the success of “Gangnam Style”, he has spent the final decade proving himself to be a musician and dancer with a singular drive to entertain. Since 2012, he has launched three full-length albums that showcase his numerous model – from the dance hits he’s finest recognized for, to softer, rhythmic ballads paying homage to his earlier output. Since founding P-Nation, he has used the label to find, develop and creatively assist the subsequent era of South Korean acts.
Between all of it, Psy remains to be filling venues in his residence nation. His annual live performance collection, “Summer Swag” is presently underway after being canceled because of the pandemic.
“Interacting with audiences (and) sharing that experience is something I can’t even describe,” Psy says. “I feel incredibly proud and content in that moment.”
And his mission hasn’t modified since his breakout hit: “To make fun music, fun dances and bring joy to my fans.”
“That’s my hope,” he provides. “I was of the same mind 10 years ago and I think I’ll feel the same way 20 years from now as well. I’ll always be true to that.”
Watch the video above to listen to extra from Psy.