

Bieber also recently tweeted lyrics from “Gangnam Style” and retweeted Psy’s response. Psy performed with the Wanted and has partied with Usher and Braun. Braun uses a “cross-promotional” technique employed by many Korean labels. But Psy received a “love call” from Scooter Braun, the American talent manager who founded Justin Bieber through YouTube back in 2008. All of this helped set him apart from the rest, and allowed him to do what he does in Korea: entertain and do it without pressure or expectations.Īs we know, a viral YouTube video does not guarantee future success. Even the featured young boy was called the day before filming began. Comedian Noh Hong-chul (known as “dancing man in elevator”) was a spur-of-the-moment cameo after visiting the set. Instead, he created a comic, low-budget video that featured cameos from a range of well-known comedians and singers. In contrast to his teenage K-Pop rivals, Psy did not seek the assistance of famous American choreographers or spend millions on his video production. He is also an anomaly in the Korean music industry 34 years old, married with 2 kids, and slightly pudgy. Unlike previously attempts to spread K-Pop, the fact that Psy’s album was focused on Korean fans, where he is an established singer in Korea and popular for his guerilla concerts and parodies of female artists, contributed to his success. But might this have been part of the unintended success of “Gangnam Style”? Even more so when considering The Wonder Girls translated their single “Nobody” to English, a move Psy wholeheartedly rejected for his song.
WHO SINGS GANGNAM STYLE MOVIE
tour, appearing on The Wendy Williams show and even promoting their own movie on Nickelodeon, many may be wondering why Psy is so much better known to the American public. With mega-group The Wonder Girls opening for the Jonas Brothers U.S. and “received English lessons due to hardships and stereotypes of Asian artists”. Yang stated Se7en essentially went to the U.S. However, these artists met hurdles in accomplishing the same popularity in the American market that they enjoyed throughout Asia. Prior to Psy, South Korean music companies sent popular artists like BoA and Se7en with existing fan bases across the Asia region in an attempt to break the U.S. So what was it about Psy that was so different to previous attempts to bring K-pop to U.S. Artists such as Robbie Williams, Katy Perry, Josh Groban, and T-Pain all tweeted their amusement in watching “Gangnam style”, helping make it go viral across social media channels. “Gangnam style” spread through celebrity promotion on Twitter, the popular blog, and CNN. According to Yang, it was Psy’s unique character and ability to differentiate himself that enhanced his appeal in the global market. YG CEO Yang Hyun-suk told Psy to “go back to his roots” and encouraged him to embrace his creativity.

YG Entertainment, on the other hand, encourages artists to sing and dance in their own style instead of being perfectly uniform. SM Entertainment artists, for example, are known for their perfectly uniform choreography. Each entertainment company focuses on different artistic elements. Psy moved from managing a company to YG Entertainment in 2010 to focus on his dreams as an artist. YG also became a YouTube partner, allowing the company to make revenue through their original content. YG Entertainment, home to Psy, used YouTube to release music videos and reveal new music live for the first time.

According to Time World, in 2010 YG, SM, and JYP (the three largest music companies in Korea) “garnered 2.3 billion hits in 235 countries, and in the first half of 2011, they got 1.7 billion”. Korean entertainment companies used to mainly upload to domestic websites like and Bugz Music before recently switching to YouTube in the hope of reaching an increasing number of international fans. But was this simply a YouTube video gone viral, or something else? Social media played a large role, but other factors such as his label’s marketing strategy coupled with an element of unplanned cultural success also catalyzed the meteoric rise of Psy’s international profile. With “ Gangnam style” now attracting over 650 million views, Psy (real name: Park Jae-sang) has done what no other South Korean singer has been able to do: successfully break into the mainstream U.S.
