PSY's thoughts on making TIME's 'Top 10 Worst Songs Of 2015' + Interview with Entertainment Weekly

[yohan94.livejournal.com]

After PSY’s new song ‘DADDY‘ was placed 4th on TIME magazine’s “Top 10 Worst Songs” list, PSY talked about what his thoughts on the issue.

Singer PSY appeared in JTBC’s “News Room” show aired on the 10 in the evening. MC Son Suk-hee mentioned TIME’s unfavorable response to PSY’s new song. PSY answered, “I was actually very grateful for TIME magazine’s interest in my song, as my song was included in the worst song’s list on the second day from its release”.

PSY went on to say, “It is actually not bad because I am on the list along with very famous people. Those who are in the top 10 list with me are great artists, who have achieved a lot during this year”, demonstrating his receptive attitude.

PSY also said, “They said the dance is generic, but I hoped I had four arms, while making the dance for ‘DADDY’. I think it depends on individual taste and perspective. They also said that the lyrics are uninspired, and I thought that may be because they don’t know the Korean language. If the Korean lyrics could be perfectly translated, the lyrics might have not looked uninspired”.

Son pointed out that PSY looks angry even though he said he was grateful, and PSY answered that Son made a very good point, making viewers burst into laughter.

TIME's review:

4. “Daddy,” the recent single by South Korean musician PSY, of “Gangnam Style” fame, may be timely—it celebrates the phenomenon of “dad bod” popularized in a viral essay this year—but that’s about the only thing it has going for it. When divorced from the absurdly entertaining visuals of its slapstick video, all that’s left is a generic dance song with uninspired lyrics: “You be my curry, I’ll be your rice,” PSY offers. Thanks, but we’re not hungry.

Check out the rest of the list here






Psy breaks down his new album: 'I'm not an Adele

As outrageous as Psy’s music videos get, the 37-year-old Korean pop star knows how to keep it real. “We are focusing on single by single, not the full-length album,” the “Gangnam Style” singer tells EW from Seoul when discussing his just-released seventh studio effort, Chiljip PSY-Da. “I’m not an Adele.”

Chiljip PSY-Da — which translates to This Is PSY’s Seventh Album — might not go multi-platinum like an Adele record, but Psy knows a thing or two about ubiquity in the digital age. Since its July 2012 release, “Gangnam Style” has racked up nearly two and a half billion views on YouTube, topping the next most-viewed video by more than a billion.

“After ‘Gangnam Style,’ I was really happy but sometimes I was not happy, because that’s my lifetime biggest song and I’m not going to top that song forever,” Psy says. “For a while, I kind of felt a little bit of pressure, like, ‘How can I top that one?’ I thought about being me, not the ‘Gangnam’ guy, or whatever. I was focused on finding myself.”

Turns out, Psy being himself and Psy performing in “Gangnam Style” are one and the same. In the music video for Chiljip PSY-Da’s first single “Daddy,” the star flips the concept of will.i.am’s 2007 hit “I Got It From My Mama” (the Black Eyed Pea guests on another of the album’s songs) for a wild clip where his face is superimposed on child dancers and Psy himself is done up as a grandpa.

“As soon as I [came] up with the song, what I thought of was the movie Austin Powers and Dr. Evil and Mini-Me,” he says. “That movie is one of my favorite movies of all-time and what I thought was, ‘Oh, maybe that kind of weird daddy and son thing can be great.’ Besides, I thought about, ‘Oh, maybe I’ve gotta go with the grandpa, too.’”

To make the weirdness a little more palatable, Psy recruited his labelmate CL, from the wildly-popular Korean girl group 2NE1, to guest on the track. “I really like her as a human being, but I really like her as a female rapper,” Psy explains. “She has great voice, great flows, and also great dances. Someone’s gotta ask me ‘Where did you get that body from?’ I thought about her right away — she has the perfect voice for that question.”

Despite Psy’s extensive catalog — he released his first album PSY From the PSYcho World! in 2001 — “Daddy” and Chiljip PSY-Da arrive as he tries to introduce himself to a global audience that primarily knows him for a single music video. “The purpose of making a full-length album and releasing it to the world is maybe giving them a little more about me, not just one song, not just two songs, but several songs,” he says. Psy hopes that by trying out multiple genres on Chiljip PSY-Da, he’ll find a voice that clicks with listeners post-“Gangnam Style.”

“After ‘Gangnam Style,’ I got a lot of proposals from a lot of countries about concerts,” he adds, expressing his trepidation about taking a massive stage with only one global hit to his name. “If I’m doing a two-hour concert, the crowd and me, we’re all going to wait till the end, because [“Gangnam Style” is] going to be at the end. So, how can we overcome two hours with unknown songs?”

Still, as Psy recounts some of the most surreal moments from his “Gangnam”-related fame — he cites the U.N. secretary-general doing his dance and a flash mob performing the song in front of the Eiffel Tower — he knows that he has to manage expectations for his follow-up. “I’m just going to do what I gotta do, which is make a great dance song, along with a funny video and some stupid dance moves or something,” he says. “If people like it, that’s good.”

And if they don’t? At least, Psy says, he doesn’t have to worry about scrutiny abroad. “Well honestly, outside of Korea, they only know me when I wear sunglasses,” he remarks. “Whenever I need some privacy it’s really simple: The only thing that I’ve got to do is take off my sunglasses.”

source: ew, ygunited, time, photo (screenshot from JTBC News)

Comments

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

There's been way worst song in 2015 but I guess they're not "relevant" enough to even be part of the list
Watch this make his view count explose

[yohan94.livejournal.com]

I honestly find Americas expectations and dismissal of PSY's artistry fascinating. Naming it the worst song of 2015 with one month left and literally two days after it was released?? I find that extra af.

[stephantasm.livejournal.com]

there was never a solid interest in his music and understanding what gangnam style meant so they really are just judging him on an "old meme" basis. usa's not even thinking about napal baji because there's 100% more korean in it, even if gs was the same way but with a more current sound.

[tjmok125.livejournal.com]

exactly that and most think he is a one hit wonder who just wants attention when he had an entirely successful career waaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy before gangnam style, plus his music has also been comedic.

If I wanted attention from the US I wouldn't make my songs entirely in korean. I dont understand how people can be bougie about music tastes when ppl actually listened to and liked shit like what does the fox say -_-

[califei.livejournal.com]

i think it's because most of the appeal gangnam style had to american audiences was "haha look at this funny old asian man dancing" and by putting PSY on a list of worst songs if 2015 Time is really just saying "well we're sophisticated and classy because we DON'T like watching funny old asian men dancing", which is a shallow dismissal that's not really critical of anything at all

[typhlogirl.livejournal.com]

I really like him tbh, he always comes off really eloquent in interviews.

[xxhna.livejournal.com]

This. He's well spoken.

[imienazwisko.livejournal.com]

+100
His reaction to being called herpes of music was a+

[moomoo-moonstar.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have a lot of respect for the guy. He's also been steadily using his fame to give other artists a bit of a boost while he's at it (besides CL, Gain's MV appearance and the major push he gave Hyuna immediately spring to mind). Seems like one of the good guys.

[modernelegance.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I may not always like his music/songs but he has always come across as a class act.

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

I want to aspire to this levels of no fuck givens about other people's opinion. Four for you, PSY!

I have the feeling that sometimes there is a tendency to forget that in music, film and similar not everything has the same purpose. For example, I have known a lot of people calling a movie bad, only because is a comedy or their public is teenagers, when they director made their point perfectly, it's just that it wasn't to make it all profound or life changing.
With PSY is similar, and personally I think he does his job REALLY good.

[stephantasm.livejournal.com]

finally watched his mama performance and was really impressed... if they stopped encouraging people to be 100 lbs and eat carbs, way more kpop groups could have his energy and abilities. he was running up and down the stage and never sounded out of breath, meanwhile jessi did one minute of a dance and adlibbed the rest of her song looking winded as fuck.

[kwikimart.livejournal.com]

His performance turned me into an actual fan whereas before I just liked him okay. He KILLED that show, he was amazing and he had the crowd soooo hype.

[phililen3.livejournal.com]

The first time I saw his Hongdae performance of Right Now, I was blown away. Our faves could never, even on their best days. He is someone people should be looking to for performance advice.

[gathyou.livejournal.com]

I hope this makes everyone check his song and blow out his views on Youtube
I don't really enjoy Daddy (I like his other single better), but worst song?
Psy's success with Gangnam Style is both an opportunity and a disaster. I can't count how many people around me played the song just to make fun of him and be racist ; also since it's a dance track it won't be considered anyway... I'm just glad that PSY has a good mindset about it, at least.

[kwikimart.livejournal.com]

Lmaoo Americans are just mad. We all know that market barely tolerates poc that are already there save for a token few and even THEY are disrespected and not given enough credit for their work. When they are given credit it's because they've been made more palatable for white audiences and EVEN THEN that still doesn't guarantee respect.

Psy is a sweetheart. I appreciate his pragmatic approach and I like that he remained so dignified. The more I read about him the more I see just how clever he really is. A lot of Western popstars work with the same few hit makers and can't really make hits on their own, that Psy could do this REGULARLY is wild and should not be sniffed at.
If critics actually approached his music for what it is rather than what they think it should be they'd get him more.

[modernelegance.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[tree-star123.livejournal.com]

ia

[setsuna16.livejournal.com]

Every time I remember that Psy is the artist who broke through the language barrier, however ironically and however 'fifteen seconds of fame'-y, it still blows my mind. Mad props to him for doing it, of course, but in all my years of being a K-Pop fan in America, Psy never registered as 'the one.'

[moomoo-moonstar.livejournal.com]

It's so easy to fall into that trap where you file him away as a one-hit wonder/old meme or whatever, but then I remind myself of the sheer scale of that hit and it puts it all in better perspective for me.

[setsuna16.livejournal.com]

I mean, I never questioned Psy's artistic worth as a whole. His music isn't to my liking, but the man's been around for ~20 years and continually makes hits in Korea. That's impossible to deny.

[redgreendress.livejournal.com]

yep, this!

[phililen3.livejournal.com]

TIME's criticism is based on translated lyrics? Huh...

People who actually speak/understand Korean, how does the song hold up lyrically?

[lobotronic.livejournal.com]

it holds up.....not well. but it isn't supposed to, either; it's a dumb song but that's the point! other songs on the album are much more lyrically sound but this on is a straight-up dance jam so it's meant to be quirky. I feel like anyone putting on the "worst" list takes it waaaaay too seriously.

[kayleen-san.livejournal.com]

I'm not a huge fan of the song, but I really don't think it should have been on that list.

[builtforsin.livejournal.com]

I don't think DADDY deserved to be labeled a worse song ever. Seriously? I think they purposely took a jab at him to bring diversity into mix causing drama. I feel bad for Psy though.. at least he was graceful and realistic with his answers

[tsubaki874.livejournal.com]

I've loved PSY from the start, even before Gangnam Style I've always enjoyed his artistry. Pretty sad how no one in America gives him a chance outside of GS/Gentleman. :/

[baeby-bloo-skys.livejournal.com]

one of the things that's not pointed out in that ew interview, but that i think is important in understanding psy's career, is that chiljip psyda is a pun on chilsung cider, which is basically the only brand of sprite/seven-up/cider in korea (really though, i can't remember if there are other brands). even the album art is a parody of the logo. psy's career, to me, is built on great music that is catchy, but also hilarious/clever. sure, he can do serious stuff too, but he is an entertainer in every sense of the word. like the pun, he's very tongue in cheek, but that's the image he's created for himself, and it works. he's not just some ahjussi that sings catchy songs, like he's actually maintained a successful career off this image. i also chalk it up to people not acknowledging that different languages have different nuances and not understanding korean humor.

[modernelegance.livejournal.com]

That is what I don't get...people take his music so seriously that they don't see the parody and the layers of clever humor that Psy brings to his music. Like to me, even if you don't know a lot about Korean culture, you can see that he doesn't take himself too seriously.

[chibi-rei.livejournal.com]

Oh god how did I miss that joke? That's funny.
Also I tried to think of another example of cider and really there's only Chilsung.

[atopworld.livejournal.com]

The song isn't my taste, but it literally came out yesterday. How is it the worst song and in the FOURTH spot?

Also, fuck off for that OMI comment.

[lobotronic.livejournal.com]

I like that he's so self-aware....like he KNOWS what gangnam style means to foreigners (just a random viral vid, not from a 'real musician') and what it has done to his reputation, but he doesn't care and just does his own thing. at the very least ya gotta respect that he just does what he wants.

I feel bad for people who only know gangnam style....PSY's "serious" rap songs are so fucking good they're all missing out on fab music.

even this latest album...that song with Zion-T is amazing, and there are others too. But everyone focuses on the one, silly music video....it's a shame really.

[leighbee333.livejournal.com]

i really don't get the obsession with having america to recognize kpop (and other non-western genres). i mean, i do get it, but like why??? your fave can have all the fame in glory in (east) asia. what's wrong with that?

mte

[atopworld.livejournal.com]

I love my favorite groups, but I wouldn't wish it on them. Groups like BB and Shinee, also F(x) and 2NE1, who all dabble in different sounds, I believe, have what it takes to do well in order to gain that recognition. But as you said Americans aren't open to things they don't understand. Especially when it comes to East Asians being seen outside of the social roles we're groomed to seeing them in in America (that America assigned to them).

[leighbee333.livejournal.com]

Because to someone who doesn't speak Korean Gangnam Style comes off as gimmicky as the Macarena, Crank That (Soulja Boy), or The Fox? Why are Americans/Europeans obliged to study up on Psy's career and "understand" him, when everything about Gangnam Style screamed silly one-hit-wonder. You can talk up its satire all you want, but musically speaking it's...completely understandable people wouldn't be impressed, or would write it off as a joke? I don't quite agree with commenters here who are acting like it's racism to treat Psy like a punchline when he has handed that interpretation to them on a platter - it's not like Chinese fans took Gangnam Style seriously either.

As harsh as K-netizens are, Americans are worse especially to stuff they don't understand. You see fans creaming themselves over every little bit of 'recognition' their faves get in America as if they're lapping up scraps falling off the table and it's like, if your bias really did have the recognition you crave I don't think you'd be able to emotionally handle the years long dragging and mocking that will follow.

I do agree here. There's a culture of cynicism and mocking that permeates all entertainment/pop culture media in the West, particularly in the U.S.; I don't think it's worse than the Korean approach to entertainment, which I find too fake and manicured - and in a way, it's necessary to counterbalance the fawning, idolizing nature of a celebrity-drenched culture, whilst treating skeptically the narratives our entertainment media feeds us, but it does have an ugly side to it (see: Justin Bieber's roast, where EVERYONE came out looking pathetic...with the possible exception of Hannibal Buresss), and it's made me dread the possibility of any Kpop act crossing over - especially the males who are going to get a lot of masculine-panic, homophobia thrown at them that piggybacks on the racist history of emasculation Asian males have experienced in the media. Someone like, say, Dean might be a good candidate to break through, but a couple commenters have brought up valid concerns about cultural appropriation with his singing style...

[oppameansit.livejournal.com]

i wish napal baji was getting more attention

[redgreendress.livejournal.com]

I was going to go on a long rant about how western media doesn't appreciate Psy's humor or artistry, but then I remembered MRJKPOP's said all of that in his recent reaction/review and he already worded it perfectly.



@4:19
"I know a lot of people will not take him seriously they think he's just kind of a gimmick like a goofy musician who has a lot of humor in his music videos or maybe some sort of comedian but you know what all of that is wrong, this guy is an amazing
performer, he is an amazing musician, and all that other stuff that he does, the gimmicks, the promotion, the humor, the music videos, the visual effects, the dance moves, everything about it is absolute brilliance on his part this is no accident why it's hugely popular and hugely science––just an absolutely amazing musician and entertainer and people need to actually give him credit for what he's doing."

[citrine047.livejournal.com]

yep, i literally said amen when i watched this review

[lazmy.livejournal.com]

he always responds to this kind of criticism well. i dont know his music outside of the videos that go viral but he seems like an extremely intelligent man and i like him a lot for that.

[citrine047.livejournal.com]

#respect

[leighbee333.livejournal.com]

Why are people having this much issue with Time's list? I don't think his is the worst song of the year either, but I wish the Korean media wouldn't follow/track and take American/Western media responses like this so seriously - it just reinforces this cultural inferiority complex that S. Korea doesn't need to have.

He has a style that comes off very gimmicky to people who aren't familiar with his career/discography (and why would they be when all they've been exposed to or given is Gangnam Style - whose selling point was the horse dance - and stuff that explicitly chased that one-hit-wonder success like Gentleman or the terrible Hangover), and some people are going to find it intensely annoying. I think it's jumping the gun to chalk this sort of thing up to POC erasure or some American cultural deficiency. There's plenty of Asian and, I'm sure, even Korean people who hate his stuff too? (However, it WOULDN'T be out of line to attribute at least some of Psy's Western success in the first place to racism, as Gangnam Style conveniently played into the racist historical emasculation of East Asian males and the Othering/exoticization of Asian culture)