Believe it or not, it’s been 10 years since Psy released pop hit ‘Gangnam Style’, which has had people galloping around on dance floors since it made its debut on 15 July 2012.
The song became one of the most famous tracks of the decade, thanks to its catchy tune and singalong lyrics – and, of course, the accompanying dance moves, which made it a wedding DJ’s ultimate dream.
Not only did ‘Gangnam Style’ debut at number one on South Korea’s Gaon Chart, but it continued to top music charts in more than 30 countries, including the UK, Australia, France and Canada.
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After becoming the first video to hit one billion views on YouTube, it went on to be named the most viewed clip on the platform - holding the crown for five years before being knocked off the top spot in 2017 by the music video for ‘See You Again’ by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth.
Speaking to Billboard back in 2017, Psy - whose real name is Park Jae-sang - reflected on the song and how it became such a huge hit worldwide.
He said: "I didn't have any international fans at that point, so I didn't expect anything global.
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"I just did what I've done before. I was a Korean singer and whenever I released an album, the purpose of it was just to make good songs in Korean, and hopefully to make a hit song that people in Korea could enjoy. That was everything."
He continued: "I still don't know why it was so special. If I knew why, I could make it again and again. After five years later, I still have to talk about 'Gangnam Style'.
"If I did it intentionally, it wouldn't work as strongly. Right now, these days when I make music or music videos, I try my best to focus and to become [like] me from before ‘Gangnam Style’. Not to do something intentionally. Doing it with intention takes a lot of effort for things to be natural, so that's what I've felt for the last five years."
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After being signed with YG Entertainment for eight years, Psy parted ways with the label in 2018 and eventually founded his own record agency, P Nation, in 2019.
He signed his first artist, Jessi, that year, and within days he had also taken on 28-year-old singer Hyuna and former Pentagon member E-Dawn - who both left their former label Cube Entertainment – and, later, Crush and Heize.
Collaborating with Park Jin-young, founder of JYP Entertainment, in June 2021 Psy debuted a new boy band survival reality show called Loud, which saw 75 contestants from different countries compete for a spot in one of two groups.
Having previously released eight albums - including Psy from the Psycho World! (2001), Ssa2 (2002), 3 Mai (2002), Ssajib (2006), PsyFive (2010), Chiljip Psy-da (2015) and 4X2=8 (2017) - Psy unveiled his latest earlier this year, Psy 9th, with its lead single being ‘That That’ featuring Suga of BTS.
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He is currently on the road for Psy Soak Show SUMMER SWAG 2022, a domestic tour of seven cities that concludes on 20 August.
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Topics: Music
Jess Hardiman