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* On September 16, the Uruguayan footballer of Italian descent [[Edinson Cavani]] scored a goal during [[Napoli]]'s 3-1 win over Parma in the Italian [[Serie A]] and celebrated by doing the Gangnam Style dance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indkast.dk/index.php?nyhed=96878 |title=Video: Cavani danser "Gangnam Style" - Napoli - Indkast.dk : Fodbold nyheder - Indkast.dk - Fodbold nyheder |publisher=Indkast.dk |date= |accessdate=2012-09-20}}</ref> |
* On September 16, the Uruguayan footballer of Italian descent [[Edinson Cavani]] scored a goal during [[Napoli]]'s 3-1 win over Parma in the Italian [[Serie A]] and celebrated by doing the Gangnam Style dance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indkast.dk/index.php?nyhed=96878 |title=Video: Cavani danser "Gangnam Style" - Napoli - Indkast.dk : Fodbold nyheder - Indkast.dk - Fodbold nyheder |publisher=Indkast.dk |date= |accessdate=2012-09-20}}</ref> |
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* On September 16, [[Starcraft II]] European champion Stephano celebrated his victory in the [[Ericsson Globe]] Stockholm with the Gangnam Style, together with the audience, runner-ups VortiX and LoWeLy and e-sports commentators Rachel 'Seltzer' Quirico, James "Kaelaris" Carrol and [[Paul Chaloner]]. Starcraft has an enormous fanbase in Korea and the players are celebrities in the real [[Gangnam]]. <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfDkbktFZ2k</ref> |
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* On September 16, the Canadian tennis player [[Filip Peliwo]] danced to "Gangnam Style" during the [[Davis Cup]] tournament at [[Uniprix Stadium]] in [[Montreal]].<ref>{{cite web|author=by: JamieD On Monday, September 17, 2012 |url=http://www.totalprosports.com/2012/09/17/filip-peliwo-gangnam-style-dance-canada-davis-cup-tennis-video/ |title=Filip Peliwo Does Terrible Gangnam Style Dance During His Team Canada Davis Cup Initiation (Video) |publisher=Total Pro Sports |date=2011-12-28 |accessdate=2012-09-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/sports/article/225072 |title=Peliwo does his rookie hazing in 'Gangnam Style' | CityNews.ca |publisher=Citytv.com |date=2012-09-16 |accessdate=2012-09-20}}</ref> |
* On September 16, the Canadian tennis player [[Filip Peliwo]] danced to "Gangnam Style" during the [[Davis Cup]] tournament at [[Uniprix Stadium]] in [[Montreal]].<ref>{{cite web|author=by: JamieD On Monday, September 17, 2012 |url=http://www.totalprosports.com/2012/09/17/filip-peliwo-gangnam-style-dance-canada-davis-cup-tennis-video/ |title=Filip Peliwo Does Terrible Gangnam Style Dance During His Team Canada Davis Cup Initiation (Video) |publisher=Total Pro Sports |date=2011-12-28 |accessdate=2012-09-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/sports/article/225072 |title=Peliwo does his rookie hazing in 'Gangnam Style' | CityNews.ca |publisher=Citytv.com |date=2012-09-16 |accessdate=2012-09-20}}</ref> |
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* Uploaded on September 19, [[Shahid Khan]], owner of the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]], appeared in a "Gangnam Style" parody.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kline |first=Brandon |url=http://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/9/19/3357410/gagnam-style-video-shad-khan-jacksonville-jaguars |title=Jaguars, Shad Khan Go Gangnam Style - The Beach Bucket - SB Nation Tampa Bay |publisher=Tampabay.sbnation.com |date= |accessdate=2012-09-20}}</ref> |
* Uploaded on September 19, [[Shahid Khan]], owner of the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]], appeared in a "Gangnam Style" parody.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kline |first=Brandon |url=http://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/9/19/3357410/gagnam-style-video-shad-khan-jacksonville-jaguars |title=Jaguars, Shad Khan Go Gangnam Style - The Beach Bucket - SB Nation Tampa Bay |publisher=Tampabay.sbnation.com |date= |accessdate=2012-09-20}}</ref> |
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| "Gangnam Style" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Gangnam Style" (Korean: 강남스타일, IPA: [kaŋnam sɯtʰail]) is a 2012 Korean pop single by the South Korean rapper PSY. It is praised by some for its humor, catchy rhythm[1] as well as PSY's unusual dance moves. The song was released on July 15, 2012, when it debuted at number one on the Gaon Chart.[2] The music video has been viewed over 222 million times as of September 20, 2012[update],[3] making it YouTube's most watched K-Pop video.
It has been shared on the internet by celebrities including T-Pain and Katy Perry, covered by others such as Nelly Furtado[4] and Maroon 5,[5] and has also been featured in international media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and CNN International (see Reception).
Around early September, "Gangnam Style" flash mobs started to appear in various capitals of the world, and "Gangnam Style" has become the source of parodies and reaction videos by, among others, The Oregon Duck, midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy and the North Korean government.[6][7] Psy has brought the "Gangnam Style" dance to various locations including Dodger Stadium, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Samsung commercials (see Impact).
On September 17, "Gangnam Style" was nominated for Best Video at the upcoming 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards that will be held in Frankfurt, Germany.[8]
"Gangnam Style" is a Korean language colloquialism that refers to a luxurious lifestyle associated with the Gangnam district,[9] an affluent area of Seoul,[10] where people are trendy, hip and exude a certain supposed "class". The term was listed in Time's weekly vocabulary list as a manner associated with lavish lifestyles in Seoul’s Gangnam district.[11] In a CNN interview, PSY has compared Gangnam to Beverly Hills, California.[12]
"Gangnam's like a territory in Seoul, Korea. I describe it as normal at the daytime and going crazy at the nighttime. I compare ladies to the territories. So normal at the daytime, going crazy at the nighttime. The lyrics said I am the right guy for the lady...who's like that."[13]
— PSY, All Things Considered interview on September 15, 2012
The song is about "the perfect girlfriend who knows when to be refined and when to get wild."[14] The song assists in defining this by the singer exclaiming "Aaaaay Sexy Lady!" The song's refrain『오빤 강남 스타일 (Oppan Gangnam seutail)』has been translated as "Big brother is Gangnam style", with Psy referring to himself;[15][16] "oppa" is a Korean phrase used by females to refer to an older male friend or older brother.[17]
The song is a satireofconspicuous consumption in South Korea – such satire is unusual in South Korean music, especially in K-Pop, which is known for bubblegum pop.[18] South Korea has a high amount of conspicuous consumption. The country's credit card debt is 155% of its disposable income, and such debt has been encouraged by the government to help drive economic growth. One of the most common types of conspicuous consumption is expensive coffee. Women known as Doenjangnyeo are known to spend large amounts on expensive coffee while eating cheap Ramen meals. This is why Psy draws attention to drinking coffee in the song.[18]
The lyrics are by PSY, music by Psy and Yoo Gun-hyung, and it was arranged by Yoo Gun-hyung, who is a well-known producer in South Korea and also collaborated with PSY in the past. In K-Pop, it is unusual for an artist to write his own music and choreograph his own video as Psy does.[18]
The music video shows PSY dancing a comical horse-riding dance and appearing in unexpected locations around the Gangnam District, such as an outdoor yoga session and a hot tub. It features a "skewering [of] the Gangnam image" by the "non-Gangnam PSY"; this parody would be recognizable to viewers familiar to Korean culture.[19]
In K-Pop, it is routine to have cameos by celebrities in a music video, such as in the dance scenes in the elevator and the parking garage.[18] Making appearances in the music video are:
The music video shows PSY dancing at various locations in Gangnam.[20] Although there are more than ten different locations featured, only two of the scenes are actually filmed in the Gangnam district. The sauna scene, elevator scene, bathroom scene were filmed in places including Gyeonggi ProvinceorIncheon.[23] PSY appears to visit all the stereotypical symbols of wealth in South Korea before the camera reveals he is actually someplace ordinary – for example, what appears to be a fancy beach is revealed to actually be a playground sandbox.[18]
When "Gangnam Style" was first released on July 15, 2012, it was known only to fans of K-Pop, and in particular those of PSY's record label the South Korean management agency YG Entertainment. PSY told Yonhap News Agency that he originally "didn't make this for foreign countries...This was always for local fans."[15] However, K-Pop fans started to post it on social networks like Facebook and Twitter and it was not long before internet users outside the K-Pop community began to notice it. Soon, celebrities in and outside the United States began to share the video with their fans, triggering a snowball effect.
About a month after its initial release, on August 17, Gangnam Style officially won first-place in the Korean music television programme Music Bank[24]onKBS 2TV, scoring a total of 18,601 points.
...a considerable slice of the U.S. blogosphere has been
obsessed with Psy’s new video “Gangnam Style".
Evan Ramstad from The Wall Street Journal,[20] August 3
By early August 2012, the international media began to take notice of it, and it became a worldwide hit. On August 4, Deborah Netburn of The Los Angeles Times wrote that "Gangnam Style" is "unstoppable" and it is "taking over the world".[14] During the last week of August, Billboard Magazine reported that PSY jumped up by eight spots on the weekly Billboard Social 50. He had beaten Taylor Swift to take the number one position for three weeks—a feat that has so far only been achieved by Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Adele and Rihanna.[25]
On September 15, "Gangnam Style" became the first K-Pop song to take the #1 position on the iTunes chart. [26] On September 17, it was nominated for Best Video at the upcoming 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards that will be held in Frankfurt, Germany.[27]
Although K-Pop has been getting increasingly popular over the past few years due to the Korean Wave, it is still fairly uncommon for K-Pop songs to be featured in foreign broadcasting networks and newspapers. However, "Gangnam Style" has managed to catch the attention of international media outlets such as the CBC[28] and CNN, the latter of which describes it as "very different and comedic."[need quotation to verify]Other broadcasting networks, popular magazines and newspapers which have reported on "Gangnam Style" include Reuters,[29] The Los Angeles Times,[30] The Huffington Post,[31] The Herald Sun,[32] The Atlantic,[18] The Vancouver Observer,[33] The Wall Street Journal,[34] ABC News,[16] USA Today,[35] Bloomberg,[36] ESPN,[37] Le Point,[38] Libération[39] Le Nouvel Observateur,[40] BBC,[41] VH1,[42] M6,[43] and the Financial Times.[44]
Maura Judkis of The Washington Post wrote, "'Gangnam Style' has made an extraordinarily stupid-looking dance move suddenly cool".[45] The German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel similarly attributes the growing popularity of "Gangnam Style" to its daring dance moves.[46] Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press wrote that PSY is "currently having a pop culture moment." PSY's dance moves are "somewhat bizarre" but the music video is full of "colorful, lively outfits." He also remarked that Psy "is excited his colorful style is being celebrated in the United States, and around the world."[47]
K-pop conquers US, ‘Gangnam Style’
Jason Abbruzzese from the Financial Times, September 14[44]
Matt Miller, a host from the business and financial news broadcaster Bloomberg Television, played "Gangnam Style" during his show, because "its just a super hot video that has gone astronomically viral." He also said that PSY did say on CNN that he wants to make people laugh even in the midst of all these global economic slowdowns, "so that's the Wall Street tie-in" he needed.[36]
Melissa Locker of TIME noted that "it's hard not to watch again …and again …and again",[48] while CNN reporter Shanon Cook told the audience that she had watched "Gangnam Style" about 15 times.[49]
Although "Gangnam Style" has been met with largely positive reactions, some have found it wacky or even vulgar.[50] Matt Buchanan and Scott Ellis of the The Sydney Morning Herald writes that the video "makes no sense at all to most Western eyes" and it "makes you wonder if you have accidentally taken someone else's medication."[51] Paul Lester of The Guardian labelled it as "generic ravey Euro dance with guitars".[52] and Robert Myers of The Village Voice called it "an inspired piece of silliness".[53]
Below is a list of influential newspapers and broadcasting networks outside the English-speaking world that have commented on "Gangnam Style" since its release in July:
| Date (2012), Country |
Journalist/Reporter, Source |
Type | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
28 July, Finland
|
Ilta-Sanomat | National daily tabloid newspaper |
Unohtakaa Macarena, tässä tulee hevostanssi![54] [ Forget about Macarena, here comes the horse dance! ] |
7 August, Germany
|
Jan Augustiny, Stern |
Weekly news magazine |
Er (Psy) sieht aus wie Kim Jong-Il...[55] [He (Psy) looks like Kim Jong-Il...] |
19 August, France
|
Stéphane Lagarde, Radio France Internationale |
Public broadcaster |
"Gangnam Style", la très addictive danse du cheval[56] [ "Gangnam Style", the highly addictive horse dance ] |
26 August, Switzerland
|
Dominique Marcel Iten, DRS 3 |
National radio station |
Zurzeit begeistert aber ausgerechnet ein verrückter Südkoreaner unter dem Pseudonym PSY die ganze Welt[57] [ Right now, the entire world is fascinated by a mad South Korean with the pseudonym PSY ] |
3 September, Chile
|
La Nación | State-owned, editorially independent. daily newspaper |
...coreografía conocida como el Gangnam Style. La actividad se enmarca dentro de las masivas manifestaciones estudiantiles con que los jóvenes se hacen notar en el país. Las locaciones escogidas fueron el frontis de La Moneda, laPlaza de Armas, el Ministerio de Educación, el Metro y la Casa Central de la Universidad de Chile, entre otras.[58] [...as part of the massive protests all across the country, a group of students danced to the choreography of Gangnam Style at La Moneda, Plaza de Armas, Ministerio de Educación, and the Universidad de Chile ] |
6 September, Italy
|
Luca Castelli, La Stampa |
National daily newspaper |
Gangnam, il rap coreano che ha conquistato il mondo[59] [ Gangnam, the Korean song that has conquered the world ] |
10 September, Norway
|
Espen Eide, TV 2 |
Commercial TV Station |
Park (34) knuser Justin Bieber på YouTube [ Park (34) surpasses Justin Bieber on Youtube ][60] |
15 September, Belgium
|
Gunter Van Assche, De Morgen |
National daily newspaper |
Het onzichtbare paard in het dwaze dansje zou een metafoor zijn voor de bezits-drang van de mens[61] [ The invisible horse in this silly dance is like a metaphor that represents man's desire to be rich ] |
15 September, Sweden
|
Natalia Kazmierska, Aftonbladet |
National daily tabloid newspaper |
Och nu kommer hysterin till Sverige: om en vecka ska en flash mob, där en tonårig folkmassa synkdansar till Gangnam Style, äga rum på Sergels torg i Stockholm.[62] [ The hysteria arrived in Sweden when a flash mob danced to Gangnam Style at Sergels torg (a public central square) in Stockholm ] |
18 September, Poland
|
TVN24 | 24-hour news channel |
MODA DOTARŁA TAKŻE DO POLSKI - ZOBACZ JAK "GANGNAM STYLE" TAŃCZYŁO CAŁE "DZIEŃ DOBRY TVN"[63] [ The craze has now reached Poland - Look how our crew atDzień Dobry TVN (TV Programme) danced to "Gangnam Style" ] |
20 September, Montenegro
|
Mirela Hodžić, Vijesti |
National daily newspaper |
"Najpoznatiji i najpopularniji svjetski jezik je muzika", kaže PSY "[64] [ "The most popular foreign language is music", says PSY ] |
One indicator of the song's immense growing popularity is its performance on the video sharing platform YouTube. Deborah Netburn of the Los Angeles Times called it "one of the greatest videos ever to be uploaded to YouTube."[65]
The song is characterized by its strongly addictive beats and lyrics,
and is thus certain to penetrate the foundations of modern philosophy.— Gangnam Style's official music video description[66]
The video was uploaded on July 15, 2012.[3] It overtook Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" to reach the number one position on the YouTube Top 100 Music Videos during the week of August 28, 2012.[9][67] On September 1, it overtook Girls' Generation's "Gee" to become the most viewed K-Pop video on YouTube. Although "Call Me Maybe" has had unusually strong staying power, averaging over 1.5 million views each day, "Gangnam Style" increased to an average of over 6 million views per day within just 2 months. This is mainly because "Call Me Maybe" remained largely a North American trend, whereas "Gangnam Style"'s popularity is not confined to the United States.[68] On September 13, 2012, Gangnam Style became the most liked video on YouTube with over 1.6 million likes,[69] beating LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" for the number one spot.[70]
About 47% of the views came from the United States, 7% from the United Kingdom, 6.8% from Canada and 4% from South Korea.[71] Andrew Ryan of The Globe and Mail wrote that in two months, with 130 million views, including its accompanying videos, it was the "fifth-biggest viral video in the history of the Internet."[72]
| "Gangnam Style" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
Gangnam Style was officially re-released on August 14, 2012, as "Oppa Is Just My Style" (Korean: 오빤 딱 내 스타일), featuring additional vocals provided by South Korean singer and 4minute member Hyuna. Mallika Rao of The Huffington Post wrote that the video was "apparently retrofitted here to work from a woman's point of view, but the main difference we're spotting is less invisible horse riding and more sultry side-eyeing."[31] The accompanying music video has garnered over 41 million views in its first four weeks after its upload onto YouTube.[73]
On September 6, Psy appeared on the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards performing his Gangnam Style dance alongside comedian Kevin Hart.[74] On August 20, Psy posted on Twitter "Bringing #GANGNAM STYLE to the Dodgers–Giants game this evening". That evening, he performed his dance moves from "Gangnam Style" at Dodger Stadium in front of 43,000 baseball fans. The Los Angeles Dodgers posted a video on its official homepage titled "PSY Dance Cam". The one and a half minute video clip shows fans dancing "Gangnam Style" and then shows Psy, who waves and then does the dance.[75]
On August 22, Psy also appeared on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live show, and taught television hosts Carrie Keagan and Jason Dundas how to dance "Gangnam Style".[42][76]
On September 10, he appeared on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show, introducing himself as "Psy from Korea", before teaching Britney Spears the dance. He described the dance as "pretending to bounce like riding on an invisible horse."[77][78][79] On September 14, he appeared on NBC's morning program Today for their Toyota Concert Series, where he performed the song, and also taught the anchors the dance.[80][81]
The September 15 season premiere episode of Saturday Night Live featured a sketch based on the song and its video. Bobby Moynihan portrayed Psy, but was joined mid-sketch by Psy himself.[82]
The music video for the song has gone viral and is considered by some to be an internet meme.[83] Hallie Sekoff of The Huffington Post quotes from the video's official YouTube video description that the song is characterized by its "strongly addictive beats", and writes that this is not too far-fetched, considering "how obsessed we’ve found ourselves."[84] During VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live show, the television host Carrie Keagan says that everyone in our office is "completely obsessed" with "Gangnam Style".[42][76]
On August 16, 2012, Nelly Furtado performed the song at her concert in the Smart Araneta ColiseuminManila, Philippines.[4]
During the late night comedy talk show Chelsea Lately, the American stand-up comedian and actress Chelsea Handler told the audience she considers Psy to be a "revolutionary musician, dancer and sex symbol". She also compared him with the Latino pop singer Ricky Martin.[85]
Ju-min Park of Reuters mentioned that "a few of South Korea's normally staid presidential candidates are imitating Psy's moves in an appeal to voters".[29] The Korea Tourism Organization has launched an ‘One day Gangnam tour’ that begins with some ‘gangnam styling’ at a beauty salon, shopping at the Apgujeong & Cheongdam boutiques, a quick luxury coffee and brunch, followed by the casino and clubbing.[86]
On September 7, the South Korean multinational conglomerate Samsung announced that Psy would be one of the new faces promoting its Zipel line of refrigerators.[87] A commercial was recently released featuring Psy and the K-Pop singer Lee Seung-gi dancing to the music of "Gangnam Style" in front of an Internet refrigerator. [88]
After the release of "Gangnam Style", the American talent manager Scooter Braun, who discovered Justin Bieber on YouTube, asked on Twitter "How did I not sign this guy (Psy)".[71] Soon afterwards, it was reported that Psy had left for Los Angeles to meet with representatives of Justin Bieber, to explore collaboration opportunities.[9][50] On September 3, Braun made a public announcement that was later uploaded onto YouTube, saying that he and Psy have decided to "make some history together. [To] be the first Korean artist to break a big record in the United States." On September 4, it was confirmed that Psy was signed to Braun's Schoolboy Records.[89]
One of the main factors that have led to "Gangnam Style" receiving worldwide media attention is its popularity among notable celebrities. According to The Wall Street Journal, T-Pain was among the first to have "sent [the video] to the stratosphere" when he tweeted about it on July 29.[90][91] It was then picked up by Neetzan Zimmerman from the social blog Gawker, who asked "Did this underground Hip Hop artist from South Korea just release the Best Music Video of the Year?"[92] on July 30.
| Celebrity | Quote | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Robbie Williams | P.S. Try watching this and not smiling I dare you....(Not even a lip curl)[93][94] | Soompi[95] |
| T-Pain | Words cannot even describe how amazing this video is.[18][91] | The Atlantic[96], The Sydney Morning Herald[97] |
| Josh Groban | It's a Gangnam Style world, we're just living in it. Amazing video.[98][99] | ABC News[100], Billboard Magazine[101] |
| Katy Perry | Help, I'm in a Gangnam Style K-hole[102][52] | The Guardian[103], The National[104] |
| Britney Spears | I am LOVING this video – so fun! Thinking that I should possibly learn the choreography. Anybody wanna teach me?! haha[105][79] |
The Wall Street Journal[106], USA Today[107] |
The rapidly growing popularity and international recognition of "Gangnam Style" has spawned many related videos, including reaction videos and parodies. Some of these user generated videos have received international media recognition. These are among the earliest ones that caught the attention of the media :
| Author | Title | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Katy and Mindy Anderson | PSY Gangnam Style MV Reaction | Earliest notable[108] "Gangnam Style" response video (18 July) |
| Simon and Martina Stawski (Eatyourkimchi) |
Kpop Music Mondays : Psy "Gangnam Style" | Earliest notable[109] "Gangnam Style" parody (23 July) |
In addition, the following parodies have been featured in influential newspapers or broadcasting networks of various countries:
| Author | Title | Featured in | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Oregon Duck | Gangnam Style Parody (강남스타일) - The Oregon Duck[110] | USA Today[111] |  United States
|
| lfahome | Presidents Race PSY Gangnam Style [112] | The Washington Post[113] | United States
|
| DoubleBondProduction | Gangnam Style - USNA Spirit Spot[114] | CBS News[115] | United States
|
| TheGreenGuys | PSY - Gangnam Style - French Version by TheGreenGuys[116] | La Dépêche du Midi[117] | France
|
| AlexiBexi | PSY - Gangnam Style - (Official Music Video) - Auf Deutsch![118] | Schweizer Radio DRS[119] | Switzerland
|
| agentkmedia | Jewish style - Official parody to PSY - Gangnam Style (강남스타일)[120] | The Jerusalem Post[121] |  Israel
|
North Korea has uploaded a video titled "I'm Yushin style!" onto the government website Uriminzokkiri[122] as a parody of South Korea's ruling conservative party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye. The video shows a photo-shopped image of her doing the horse-riding dance, and mocks her as a devoted admirer of the "Yushin" system of autocratic rule set up by her father, Park Chung-hee.[7][123][124]
A "Gangnam Style" flash mob event, sponsored by the South Korean broadcasting and entertainment company Mnet Media, was held in Pasadena, California,[125] and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has reported about the presence of "Gangnam Style" flash mobs in Sydney.[126]
...it has taken over the world,
it has taken over the Internet,
and now it's time for it to take over Times Square
ABC News[127] during a "Gangnam Style" flash
mob in Manhattan, September 12
On September 12, Times Square was filled with a flash mob dancing to the music of "Gangnam Style" during ABC's Good Morning America.[128] Five days later, Psy appeared in a flash mob organized by the American entertainment TV show Extra in Los Angeles. The dress code was either "something comfortable" or "Psy-inspired clothing."[129]
A "Gangnam Style" flash mob in front of the Obelisco de Buenos Aires national monument in Argentina was shown on the national news programme Antes del Mediodía.[130]
Through social networks like Facebook, many other small, unofficial fan-organized flash mobs have also taken place in various places including: 800 at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Jakarta,[131] hundreds of Silpakorn University students in Thailand,[132] a flash mob at a food court in Sweden,[133] more than 100 Cornell University students in Ithaca, New York,[134] inside the Mariscal López shopping mall in Asunción, Paraguay,[135]atAlexanderplatzinBerlin, Germany,[136] at a K-Pop cover dance festival in Warsaw, Poland,[137]atSt. Olaf CollegeinNorthfield, Minnesota,[138]atTorgallmenningeninBergen, Norway,[139] and at a Gay pride parade in Stockholm, Sweden.[56]
In mid-September 2012, 14 lifeguards from El Monte, California were released from official duties after they uploaded "Lifeguard Style," a parody of "Gangnam Style," using the city's swimming pool at the El Monte Aquatic Center. The part-time and seasonal employees were immediately fired for violating contracts that stipulate an employee "cannot use any city property for his/her own private benefit." [147] and "the city holds all employees to a higher standard."[148]
Some of the lifeguards who only appeared in the background, but did not actively participate, were also fired. A Facebook page created by the lifeguards, titled "Bring Back the 14 El Monte Lifeguards", had won the support of more than 11,000 fans within a few days.[149] In an interview on 97.1 AMP Radio with Carson Daly, Psy called the incident a “tragedy” and added that the city officials "were taking things too seriously".[150] On September 14, Psy appeared on MTV News and left a message for El Monte's mayor Andre Quintero: "I'm begging you to not fire please, because they were enjoying their souls with some other cultures and it was even off duty."[151]
At a meeting on Sept. 18, 2012, after hearing from residents the El Monte City Council called for an investigation into the firing. Hundreds attended the meeting.[152] The meeting prompted columnist Frank C. Girardot to suggest that the lifeguards struggle would make a great movie with the title "High School Musical 14: The Hollywood Lifeguards" [153]
On 17 September, the music video Despedida de solteiro was uploaded onto Youtube by the Brazillian singer Latino. However, some had found the song's melody strikingly similar to Psy's "Gangnam Style". According to the Brazilian internet service provider Universo Online, Despedida de solteiro had generated more than 50,000 dislikes within 2 days.[154]
By 21 September, it had even surpassed the original "Gangnam Style"[155] with more than 100,000 dislikes[156].
The song debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 for the week of July 28, 2012.[157] "Gangnam Style" then topped the chart the week after,[10] and has remained at number 1 for five weeks.[158] The song has also peaked on Billboard's YouTube Music Chart at number 1.[159] On August 21, 2012, "Gangnam Style" officially charted number 1 on the iTunes Music Video Charts, overtaking Justin Bieber's "As Long as You Love Me" and Katy Perry's "Wide Awake"; this feat is the first for any South Korean artist.[160] In South Korea the song was an instant success selling 745,000 downloads in its first week and remains atop the Gaon Single Chart for five consecutive weeks since debut. As of August 23, the song was downloaded over 2,545,837 times in South Korea alone. In Finland, "Gangnam Style" peaked at number 1 on the official download chart.[161]
In the United States, "Gangnam Style" debuted at number 74 on Billboard Hot Digital Songs with 23,000 downloads sold in the week ending of September 8, 2012 and two weeks later reached number 25 with 61,000 downloads.[162] The song rocketed to number 4 for the chart week of September 29, with 188,000 downloads.[163] On the issue date of September 22, it debuted at the highest-charting ever number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the second K-Pop song to enter the chart behind the Wonder Girls' "Nobody" in 2009. In the same week, "Gangnam Style" also debuted on the Billboard Pop Songs at number 28.[162] As of September 20, 2012[update], Gangnam Style had sold 271,000 downloads in the US.[164] In its second week on the chart, "Gangnam Style" rose to #11.[163]
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[165] | 7 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[166] | 25 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[167] | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[168] | 47 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[169] | 3 |
| Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[170] | 31 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[171] | 1 |
| France (SNEP)[172] | 46 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[173] | 2 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[174] | 4 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[175] | 19 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[176] | 56 |
| South Korea (Gaon Digital Singles)[177] | 1 |
| South Korea (Billboard K-Pop Hot 100)[10] | 1 |
| Spain (Promusicae)[178] | 34 |
| Sweden (DigiListan)[179] | 12 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[180] | 31 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[181] | 37 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[182] | 11 |
| USPop Songs (Billboard)[183] | 28 |
|
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Psy performed a parody of Lady Gaga during his concert for thousands of fans in Seoul, complete with fake breasts that he set on fire.– pictures and captions
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While the music video has been viewed over 28 million times on video sharing site YouTube, and has been praised for its catchy rhythm as well as its wacky 'horse dance', not everyone is impressed – his detractors have labelled his music vulgar.
This is an almost Dada-esque series of vignettes that make no sense at all to most Western eyes. Psy spits in the air while a child breakdances, sings to horses, strolls through a hurricane that shoots whipped cream in his face, there's [sic] explosions, a disco bus, he rides a merry-go-round, dances on boats, beaches, in car parks and in elevators and generally makes you wonder if you have accidentally taken someone else's medication.
I think we can all agree that K-Pop singer Psy's music video "Gangnam Style" is one of the greatest videos ever to be uploaded to YouTube.
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I even saw one video from Sweeden with people dancing in a food court flash mob style to this.
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