"The Bizarre Singer" with "Gangnam Style"

What musical artist currently holds six number one spots on the Billboard Music Charts (more spots held than any other artist on the charts)? That guy is PSY. For ten weeks, this South Korean rapper has been blowing speakers and minds with his techno rap melody and clippity-cloppity dance moves from the song, “Gangnam Style.”

("Gangnam Style" Music Video by PSY)

Though he has been storming America since “Gangnam Style” popped up on YouTube in July of 2012, PSY (who’s real name is Park Jae-sang) has been rapping and dancing for over a decade. After attending both Boston University and the Berklee College of Music, PSY debuted his first album (titled “PSY from PSYcho World!”) in Korea in 2001. That first album got him a fine from the Korean government because the lyrics were inappropriate for minors. Album number two, “Ssa” didn’t do any better. “Ssa” was all-out banned for its inappropriate content (minors and adults would find it offensive apparently). It was a song off his 6^th album “PSY 6 Part 1,” and video uploaded to YouTube, that propelled him to being recognized in the U.S.A. at such a level, that MTV had him make a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Now PSY is signed to Schoolboy Records, a division of Universal Republic and the “Gangnam Style” YouTube video has over 600,000,000 views. Many people only think about how hilarious the dance is and see the video as random. It isn’t though. Gangnam is actually a wealthy suburb in Seoul, South Korea spanning about 15 square miles. The area is home international companies Samsung, Hyundai, and LG (although funnily enough, the red car featured in the video is a Mercedes, not a Hyundai). PSY himself has said that the song is about the boys and girls that live in that area and to me that makes the video a lot less random. I can compare this video to other, American music videos that depict lavish lifestyles in some of the same ways: drinking, dancing, extravagance, and “sexy ladies.”

Gretchen Tristan, a writer for asquaredmag.com, wrote that PSY is a “Korean Ricky Martin,” but PSY identifies his music with rap and hip-hop. Even though I can’t understand the lyrics (sorry, I don’t speak Korean) I agree that “Gangnam Style” is a rap/hip-hop song. The lyrics don’t appear to rhyme frequently, and they flow freely without much control (which is what a rap song does). Compared to another one of his songs called “Entertainer” (also off the “PSY 6” Album) “Gangnam Style” is hard and edgy. “Entertainer” is still a rap song but there is a melodic chorus and big band brass instruments that could almost make it an R&B song. And yet another song, “Right Now” (off of album five titled “PSYfive”) gives me a sense of why his previous albums may have been considered offensive. Again, I don’t speak Korean but this song and music video give off a rebellious citizen vibe more conservative cultures’ governments (like cultures in Asia) may be put-off by. “Right Now” also has the same edgy, techno-vibe “Gangnam Style” has and the same apparent randomness of the video.

("Right Now" Music Video)

(PSY performing "Entertianer" at the Seoul Plaza in South Korea)

The Billboard music charts have PSY and “Gangnam Style” holding the number one spots in rap, digital songs, On-Demand Songs, ringtone songs, YouTube songs, and Billboard Canada’s Hot 100. On the Social 50 chart (which is a Billboard chart based off of social network activity/tweeting/friend and follower adding/etc.) PSY has been beating artists like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber for 12 weeks. By the end of September, “Gangnam Style” had become the number one downloaded song on iTunes and it is still holding that spot to date.


Aside from charted greatness, “Gangnam Style” has had an immense influence on American popular culture, with political parodies being inspired by it (see my previous post to watch a “Gangnam Style” Mitt Romney video) to people dressing up as PSY for Halloween (check out the screen-cap from a recently aired episode of South Park). Even here in my home state of Oregon, students at the University of Oregon want to show they've got "Gangnam Style" too.

Jimmy from South Park is "G-g-g-g-gangnam Style"

Compared to music from the early 1900s to the revolutionary music of the American 1960’s+, “Gangnam Style” might not be the best example of intricate, deeply thought-out music, but in today’s era of dubstep and techno driven beats, it hold its own. PSY and “Gangnam Style” aren’t trying to appeal to the type of person who listens to music for the arrangement of notes and visual imaging of lyrics (clearly: large portions of the people listening/watching probably don’t know what PSY is talking about). “Gangnam Style” and PSY’s music are meant to be fun and weird. Many people in the music industry have labeled PSY “The Bizarre Singer” and in Korea his music is referred to as “gwange-dea” (a genre associated with humorous, joking music). I see PSY making a mark and staying on the radar of American music because what he delivers isn’t being judged on the same level as most popular singers today. He’s different; he doesn’t try to play into the standards of the usual hip-hop, club type music. PSY is just there for people to listen to and enjoy.

After listening to songs off the “PSY 6” album and tracks from before that, I think I would call myself a PSY fan, and listeners who enjoy “Gangnam Style” shouldn't limit themselves to that song alone. Go enjoy the music this 34-year-old Southern Korean native offers, and maybe go see if any other “K-Pop” (Korean Pop Music) peaks your interest. The usual mix on the Billboard Top 100 doesn't always have to be song from the normal radio play list; experience the different sounds that are out there. 

SOURCES: 

- Coughlan, Maggie. "People." PEOPLE.com. People, 06 Sept. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. <http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20302940_20627446,00.html>.

- Kaufman, Gil, and James Dinh. "Who Was That VMA Surprise Guest Psy?" MTV.com. MTV, 6 Sept. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. <http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1693362/vma-2012-psy.jhtml>.

- Tristain, Gretchen. "The Evolution of Psy in America." Asquaredmag.com. A Squared Magazine, 13 Sept. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. <http://asquaredmag.com/the-evolution-of-psy-in-america/>.

- I DO NOT own any of the videos on this blog or the screencap from Comedy Central's "South Park." All videos are property of their respective owners and linked here via YouTube.com.