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Gangnam Style

arts Maturity 11-13 Next article →

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

Gangnam Style PSY 17logo (8037750783)
Gangnam Style PSY 17logo (8037750783)

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.

Teheran-ro Yeongdong-daero crossing 7
Teheran-ro Yeongdong-daero crossing 7

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.

NASA Gangnam Style dance
NASA Gangnam Style dance

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.

Gangnam Style on youtube
Gangnam Style on youtube

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.

FMFA 2013 (8565145586)
FMFA 2013 (8565145586)

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.

Search volume for kpop
Search volume for kpop

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.

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🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:Teheran-ro_Yeongdong-daero_crossing_7.jpg
Teheran-ro_Yeongdong-daero_crossing_7.jpg
File:Search volume for kpop.svg
Search volume for kpop.svg
File:Gangnam Style South Korea.jpg
Gangnam Style South Korea.jpg
File:Gangnam Style PSY 17logo (8037750783).jpg
Gangnam Style PSY 17logo (8037750783).jpg
File:Gangnam Style on youtube.png
Gangnam Style on youtube.png
File:NASA Gangnam Style dance.gif
NASA Gangnam Style dance.gif
Secretary General Ban Ki moon and PSY...
File:Songdo style.jpg
Songdo style.jpg
File:Gangnam Style comic parody.jpg
Gangnam Style comic parody.jpg
File:FMFA 2013 (8565145586).jpg
FMFA 2013 (8565145586).jpg
File:Psy does Gangnam Style at KIIS FM Jingle Ball 2012.jpg
Psy does Gangnam Style at KIIS FM Jingle...
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