The South Korean musician whose song “Gangnam Style” became a global viral meme is Psy.
Psy, the stage name of Park Jae-sang, released “Gangnam Style” on July 15, 2012, as the lead single from his sixth studio album. The song satirized the fashionable, affluent image associated with Seoul’s Gangnam district, while its music video featured deliberately comic choreography and an instantly recognizable horse-riding dance.
The video spread internationally through YouTube, helped by its catchy refrain, humorous visuals, and choreography that audiences could easily imitate. It became a global internet meme, spawning parodies, flash mobs, and performances far beyond South Korea. The song eventually topped charts in more than 30 countries.
The answer is Psy, not BTS, CL, or Rain. BTS became globally prominent later as a group, CL is a different South Korean singer, and Rain is another solo performer. “Gangnam Style” also achieved a major YouTube milestone on December 21, 2012, when it became the first video to pass one billion views.