Gangnam Style

Psy is a singer from South Korea.

He made a very famous song. It has a catchy beat.

The song is called "Gangnam Style." It is about a place in Seoul.

The song has a funny dance. You can pretend to ride a horse.

Psy worked hard on the dance. He practiced for many nights. He tried moves like a panda.

He chose the horse trot instead.

Many people saw the video on YouTube. It was the first to get one billion views. It made people all over the world smile.

People even tried the dance at work. Leaders from different lands did it too. It is a very fun song to watch.

"Gangnam Style" is a famous song by Psy. He is a singer from South Korea.

The song came out in July 2012. It has a very catchy beat. The name refers to a lifestyle in the Gangnam area of Seoul.

Psy worked very hard on the dance. He stayed up late for 30 nights to find new moves. He tried dances like a panda or a kangaroo. In the end, he chose the horse trot. This move looks like riding a horse.

The music video became a huge hit on YouTube. It was the first video to reach one billion views. Many people around the world loved the funny dance. Even world leaders tried the moves.

The song helped show Korean culture to the world. This is part of the Korean Wave. This term describes how much people love Korean music and art. The song reached the top charts in over 30 countries.

"Gangnam Style" is a famous K-pop song by the South Korean singer Psy.

It was released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment. The song's title uses a new word to describe a lifestyle. This lifestyle is linked to the Gangnam region in Seoul. People there are often seen as trendy or high class. Psy said the title was actually a joke. He wanted to show something that was far from high class.

Psy worked very hard to create the song's famous dance. He felt a lot of pressure to meet expectations. He stayed up late for about 30 nights to find new moves. He worked with a choreographer named Lee Ju-sun. They tested many silly moves inspired by animals. They tried moves like a panda or a kangaroo. Finally, they settled on the horse trot. This move looks like riding a horse. It includes spinning a lasso and a side gallop.

The song became a global sensation very quickly. It went viral on the internet in August 2012. The music video was uploaded to Psy's YouTube channel. It received about 500,000 views on its very first day. By December 21, 2012, it was the first YouTube video to reach one billion views.

It was the most viewed video on the site for a long time. It held that spot from November 2012 until July 2017. Many people made parody videos to copy the fun.

"Gangnam Style" reached the top of music charts in over 30 countries. This included places like Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. This was a huge achievement for a South Korean artist. The song even won Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

Even world leaders joined in the fun. British Prime Minister David Cameron and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon tried the dance.

This song is a big part of the Korean Wave. This term describes how South Korean culture became popular worldwide. It includes music, art, and entertainment. K-pop is a special type of music that reaches many people. Social media helped this music spread to the West.

The song helped show Korean language and lifestyle to others. U.S. President Barack Obama even mentioned its success. He said the song showed how people are swept up by Korean culture. It remains a famous moment in modern music history.

"Gangnam Style" is a landmark K-pop song by the South Korean singer Psy.

Released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment, it served as the lead single for his album *Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1*. The term "Gangnam Style" is a neologism, or a newly created word. It refers to the lavish, trendy, and "nouveau riche" lifestyles associated with the Gangnam district in Seoul.

While the term suggests high class, Psy intended the title as a joke. He wanted the music and video to be the opposite of high class. The song's refrain, "Oppan Gangnam style," translates to "Big brother is Gangnam style," referring to himself.

Creating the iconic dance required intense preparation and creativity. Psy felt significant pressure because South Korean fans have high expectations for his dancing. He spent approximately 30 nights staying up late to develop something new. Working with choreographer Lee Ju-sun, he tested many "cheesy," animal-inspired movements. They experimented with moves resembling a panda or a kangaroo. Ultimately, they settled on the "horse trot." This sequence involves pretending to ride a horse, spinning an imaginary lasso, and performing a legs-shuffling side gallop.

The song's release and its music video triggered a massive global phenomenon. After promotional teasers were released on July 11, 2012, the full video debuted on YouTube. It immediately gained about 500,000 views on its first day. However, the release faced a hurdle in Germany. A copyright dispute between YouTube and GEMA, a performance rights organization, blocked many videos, including Psy's. These videos were not unblocked in Germany until October 31, 2016.

"Gangnam Style" achieved unprecedented digital milestones. On December 21, 2012, it became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views. It held the title of the most viewed video on YouTube for several years. It surpassed Justin Bieber's "Baby" on November 24, 2012. It remained at the top until July 10, 2017, when it was surpassed by "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth. The song's popularity led to many parodies and reaction videos from various groups and individuals.

The song's commercial success was vast and international. By the end of 2012, it had topped music charts in more than 30 countries. These included Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. At that time, this was the highest-charting position for any South Korean artist. The music video also won Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2012.

Many world leaders and organizations recognized the song's impact. The United Nations hailed Psy as an "international sensation" due to his satirical video. Even political leaders like British Prime Minister David Cameron attempted the dance. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also performed the moves, calling the song "a force for world peace."

In May 2013, U.S. President Barack Obama cited the song's success during a meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye. He used it as an example of how the world is being "swept up" by the Korean Wave.

This success is a key part of the "Korean Wave," a term used by Chinese journalists. The Korean Wave refers to the global rise in popularity of South Korean culture since the late 1990s. K-pop is a central part of this movement. It uses "cultural technology" to adapt music to the tastes of international audiences. While Western reception was initially lukewarm, social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter helped K-pop reach a wider global audience.

This helped transform K-pop into a popular subculture for teenagers and young adults worldwide.