Let's have a closer look to get more understanding why such random MV can attract the most viewers in Youtube.
Who is this remarkable singer, PSY?
His real name is Park Jae Sang but he gains the fame by his stage name, PSY or PSYCHO. No, he doesn't have a severe psychopathology. He's just crazy enough to produce unique music. This Boston University alumnus wrote his own song and appeared to be the conceptor of Gangnam Style MV.
PSY is a senior artist under YG Entertainment, the agency wherein two of the most powerful idol groups - Big Bang and 2NE1 - were born. Many people must admit that those two have a lot charisma, we had even discussed about 2NE1 and Big Bang's leader in our previous posts.
The YGE artists usually have outstanding style and speak multilingual. Their English lyrics are well-written, not just a lame Engrish which is often used by artists from SM Entertainment. Besides the strength of YGE, as it had been reported by allkpop in comparison with the other entertainment agencies, there are several weaknesses of YGE. It is said that YG was more focused on Big Bang than any other artist of the agency. Therefore, PSY was included as one of the neglected artist in the company.
PSY's first album - "PSY From The Psycho World!" - was banned for unsuitable content for minor. His second album - "Ssa2" was banned for exactly the opposite reason, unsuitable lyrics for people above 18. After multiple try in releasing album, finally he got the spotlight for his recent album, "PSY6".
Why people love Gangnam Style?
For newbie in K-pop fandom, the first thing they notice from the music video (MV) might be the catchy beats and the horse riding choreography which is fun and easy to follow. For K-pop fans, they must have recognized some famous faces in Gangnam Style MV. They are:
- Yoo Jae Suk, Korea's national MC, who appeared in the video as funky guy dancing in bright yellow suits.
- Kim HyunA, the sexy lady who happens to be the member of 4-minute in real life.
- Noh Hong Cheol, a comedian who show his hip-shaking dance in the elevator.
- Big Bang's Seungri and Daesung who featured as two old ahjussis playing chess in the background.
Before releasing the MV, many artists were also endorsing Gangnam Style. You can check out in PSY's official YouTube channel, endorser #1 and #2. Famous artists such as G-Dragon, Leessang, Sung Shi Kyung, Yoon Do Hyun, Lena Park, and Kim Jin Pyo were also featuring in this album. Netizens were in awe over PSY's vast network.
What does the song mainly talk about?
Gangnam is an elite district in Seoul. In South Korea, which has fast-increasing-GDP, there's no place to better picture the luxurious lifestyle of Korean bourgeois other than Gangnam. PSY's Gangnam Style was intended to satirize the notorious modern philosophy.
In Korea, there's a term "doenjang nyeo" (soy sauce girl), refering to girls who willingly eat cheap noodle to be able to buy expensive coffee like Starbucks. They sacrifice their primary needs to catch up with posh lifestyle. This message was delivered in some scenes of Gangnam Style MV. For example, in the beginning of the video, PSY was seen sunbathing in a place that might be mistaken as a beach, but it was actually a playground.
Well, can you spot the other messages? It will be no fun if I just point them out one by one.
^_~
I think that's all I can say about Gangnam Style. Enjoy your own horse riding dance, Folks...
