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Gangnam Style

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

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

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.

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

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.

NASA Gangnam Style dance
NASA Gangnam Style dance

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 on youtube
Gangnam Style on youtube

"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.

FMFA 2013 (8565145586)
FMFA 2013 (8565145586)

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.

Search volume for kpop
Search volume for kpop

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

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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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