Americans dance to 'Gangnam Style'

[asth77.livejournal.com]

NEW YORK _ For Wonder Girls, Girls' Generation and BoA, the U.S. market was a tough and tricky one to crack. But not for PSY, the eccentric Korean singer and rapper who just happened to make perhaps the most successful U.S. debut in Korean music history.

PSY's secret? He didn't try.

There was no extensive strategy, no hard training and not even a need for the 34-year-old to set foot on U.S. soil. The four-minute video of his newest single "Gangnam Style" on YouTube _ now with more than 20 million views and counting _ was enough to put PSY's name on the map.

And this time, it's not just the Korean media singing praises.

Major U.S. media outlets like The Huffington Post, CNN, the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times have covered how the comic and upbeat dance track took over the world. What's more, T-Pain, Robbie Williams and Josh Groban are among the growing list of celebrated musicians who've tweeted their love for "Gangnam Style".

The hit song, unlike other Korean music professionally targeting the U.S. market, is in Korean except for a few English words like "sexy lady" and "style " here and there. But that doesn't seem to matter.

"I don't even care what the lyrics mean. To me, it's the melody and beat that are insanely addictive", says Lisa Keanan, 20, a student at New York University. "I didn't even know what K-pop was until I came across this song".

Young Sherman, 34, a graphic designer who lives and works in Manhattan, was also introduced to the world of K-pop when his coworker sent him the YouTube link.

"I had it on repeat all day long at work yesterday. I was doing the horse riding dance in my dream. I'd say this is addiction", he said, adding that he even ordered a "Gangnam Style" T-shirt online.

A "Gangnam Style" T-shirt? Yes, a T-shirt with a caricature of PSY doing the arm swish and leg pop with the words "Keep Calm and Gangnam Style" centered on the front.

Several U.S.-based online shopping sites are selling different variations of the shirt for anywhere from $16 to $25.

Many cultural commentators say PSY is the only Korean singer who actually made his name known to the general public in the U.S.

"Of course not everyone knows PSY, but at least he got closer than anyone else who tried so far", said Elena Choi, a cultural commentator and writer based in Los Angeles.

Wonder Girls, BoA and Girls' Generation do have a fan base here, but the number is very limited and a majority of followers are Korean-Americans, she said.

Y.C. Park, a music producer in New York, says this is the first time a Korean song is creating a real buzz.

"It's always been the Korean media hyping up the success of Korean singers in the U.S. Honestly, there was never any success", he said, adding that this might serve as a turning point for K-pop to get good exposure to the masses.

In the meantime, "Gangnam Style" is being replicated into all kinds of parodies, as seen on YouTube, across the U.S.

"My coworkers tried filming a short version right in the office, but our boss stepped in. The fun stopped there", wrote an anonymous user on MissyUSA, a popular online community among women. "I have a feeling we'll convene again soon for a full-on shoot".

By Jane Han

jhan@koreatimes.co.kr

Credit : Korea Times
Source : Hancinema

Comments

[honeebs.livejournal.com]

Oh he dubuted in America..

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

PSY, the Hallyu star Kpop deserves and the one it needs.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

This.

[puyols.livejournal.com]

YUS

[palebluedot09.livejournal.com]

yep

[goldynchickie.livejournal.com]

Hahaha I am cackling right now

[mishi07.livejournal.com]

"It's always been the Korean media hyping up the success of Korean singers in the U.S. Honestly, there was never any success"

I feel like quoting this on every SM PR

[soramai.livejournal.com]

lmao, so true

[88keyz2nun.livejournal.com]

totally agree...lol

[reelrecnizereel.livejournal.com]

Kept it real and raw, I liked that.

[lazmy.livejournal.com]

mhmm

[noxiouspanda.livejournal.com]

YES.

[dreameth4.livejournal.com]

lmao thank you

[the-erotomanic.livejournal.com]

didn't nobody go viral, too? and back then perez hilton was the blog to go to for viral videos.

it's great that he's getting popular, but are they sure people are not thinking he's the next rebecca black.

but anyway, if snsd wants to break in to the us market, they'd have to go the novelty route. meaning they have to do more gee/oh! style music. the more wtf! the concept is, the better.

[ideservestars.livejournal.com]

lol no, they didn't.

but i think people genuinely like the song, it's funny and catchy.

[staaan.livejournal.com]

ia

tbh the only way i see kpop getting more exposure rn in the mainstream us media is by picking the weirdest concepts possible. ('weirdest' in comparison to the us market, i mean.)

[nortonamo.livejournal.com]

Your icon :0 That was my favorite show growing up.

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

gee/oh! would flop outside of asia
no one wants to see 20-something girls acting all cute

[mecha-danger.livejournal.com]

Even Bubble Pop went more viral than Nobody tbh.

Honestly this stuff is too hard for me to predict, I just wanna hope for everyone's success. But at least now K-pop as a whole is in the mainstream (at least in concept, it was added to the OED, people know what it is) even though there's been no real successes yet.

[odd-fish-stick.livejournal.com]

no one is going to agree that 'nobody' went viral here, we are in omona after all

[tomtom28.livejournal.com]

lol accurate

[deeinanutshell.livejournal.com]

Idk if it went viral but I did hear of "nobody" years before I knew of Kpop. altho i didn't really like it

[soundczech.livejournal.com]

people thought rebecca black was a bad singer with a bad song, i don't think there's that patronizing attitude to psy at all. it's true that it's a novelty song, but really the reason it's doing so well is that it's a great club/dance song. i've always thought that YG in general have way more potential to break into the US market because they understand how to make and promote club songs.

[nickle4apickle.livejournal.com]

This!

[chichi89.livejournal.com]

> PSY's secret? He didn't try.

True. And I really like it that the one who didn't even try could make it.
The MV is all sorts of ridiculous and epic, the song is addictive and I love the dance.

[ideservestars.livejournal.com]

i showed my brother the video, and he generally hates kpop and pop music, and he loved the song lol

[k0dama.livejournal.com]

"Wonder Girls, BoA and Girls' Generation do have a fan base here, but the number is very limited and a majority of followers are Korean-Americans"

extremely true.

[epona.livejournal.com]

Except no one will take him seriously in the States. He'll have his 15 minutes with this one song and America will forget him again.

Not hating, love Psy but you know it's true.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

True. As hard as it is to become a viral sensation/fad, it's even harder to maintain.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

As opposed to anyone else having long term fame. Lbr none of the other acts will get this much attention while they try to rip off more US acts.

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

Even being one hit wonder in US (and worldwide) would be great for him and kpop. In any case he still would have his career in Korea. Plus who knows maybe he will be able to come up with another this catchy and engaging track with some equally hilarious dance. Which of us could have foreseen even this happening if asked before he released Gangnam Style?

[minakuu.livejournal.com]

yup

[noxiouspanda.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately true. Tis America.

[ayumikoshiro.livejournal.com]

Except this isnt a one time thing it's kinda his style. So his other songs might catch on to. He might turn out not a "serious" artist but he might get a following all the same. Plus I've heard nothing but amazing things about his stage presence which helps if he ever did do a concert.

[aj-123.livejournal.com]

*sighs* sad but true

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

Go PSY! I'm expecting Gangnam Style to move one place up on the next youtube top 100 music video list (while it's currently #3 weekly, it has been #2 on most daily charts). :-)

[bear100.livejournal.com]

kinda wanna dance to this now

[nortonamo.livejournal.com]

Honestly, there was never any success

ouch

[julietislimited.livejournal.com]

I convinced my friends while drunk that we should do the big dance at a con one time, just bust it out in the middle of floor.

would be sweet.

[shintotchi.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't call this a debut. Damn can we stop with SK trying to ride on the backs of others to lay claim to other countries? PSY's song went viral. It's like Numa Numa got huge, and no one probably knows any other song by O-zone that's not from their country. I'm amazed i remembered their name.

Psy might get some air time on both tv and radio if it's popular enough. Comedy shows that have guests and...I dunno, it's very possible he'll get alot of exposure from it. I just don't appreciate SK embellishing everything and jumping on PSY's dick now that everyone knows about it.

[edanz-castle.livejournal.com]

lol It's so funny though....Psy did not have to try at all and went viral just like "that". Congrats to Psy....

[kanot.livejournal.com]

It's not that big though, is it?

[taylorniw.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression it's being viewed sort of as a joke, though. Not because the majority actually like it.