Psy performs the YouTube hit “Gangnam Style.”
The song was released on July 15, 2012, as the lead single from Psy’s sixth album, Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1. Psy is the stage name of Park Jae-sang, a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. The track was released through YG Entertainment and became his international breakthrough.
Its music video helped turn the song into a global viral phenomenon. The title refers to the affluent Gangnam district of Seoul, while the video humorously exaggerates high-status lifestyles associated with the area. Psy’s distinctive “horse-riding” dance became one of the most recognizable pop-culture gestures of the decade.
A common mix-up is confusing Psy with Korean idol-group members such as J-Hope or G-Dragon. They are separate artists. “Gangnam Style” also set major YouTube milestones: it became the first video to pass one billion views in December 2012 and helped bring K-pop to a much wider international audience.