“Gangnam Style” hits the U.S.
September 20, 2012
by MATT GORDON
Editor-in-chief
Korean pop star PSY’s “Gangnam Style” has grown in popularity throughout America, gaining over 150 million views on YouTube, and even reaching number 64 on the Billboard charts.
The song is most popular for its outrageous dance music video that features a move that looks as if the dancer is riding a horse. In the video, many other Korean celebrities appear, including 4minute member Hyuna and comedian Yoo Jae-Suk.
The song is targeted at the upper class Gangnam district of Seoul. In the video, PSY makes fun of the rich and their every day eccentricities and spoils, by playing in a posh tennis court and riding a personal boat.
Ever since the song and video rose in popularity, PSY has traveled across the country to perform and make appearances on many shows and concerts. He has made appearances at a Los Angeles Dodgers game, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, and MTV’s Video Music Awards, performing with comedian Kevin Hart. Many American celebrities have expressed their love for “Gangnam Style,” including T-Pain, Vanessa Hudgins, and Katy Perry.
On “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, PSY taught pop star Britney Spears how to perform the dance. After the show, she tweeted “I am LOVING this video – so fun! Thinking that I should possibly learn the choreography. Anybody wanna teach me?! haha.”
Scooter Braun, the American talent manager that discovered Justin Bieber, expressed his interest in signing PSY. Soon after, it was reported that PSY was traveling to Los Angeles to meet with Braun. The pair made a deal and Braun posted a YouTube video saying that he and Psy have decided to “make some history together. [To] be the first Korean artist to break a big record in the United States.”