On December 21, 2012, his music video for "Gangnam Style" exceeded one billion views on YouTube, becoming the first video to do so in the website's history. Psy was subsequently recognized by the media as the King of YouTube. As of May 2023, it is the eleventh most viewed video on YouTube, with over 4.7 billion views.
In December 2012, MTV noted Psy's rise from being little known outside South Korea, to being hailed as the "Viral Star of 2012". On December 31, 2012, Psy performed in a globally televised New Year's Eve celebration with American rapper MC Hammer on-stage in front of a live audience of over a million people in Times Square, New York City. Following his departure from YG Entertainment in 2018, he founded his own company, P Nation, in 2019.
Park Jae-sang was born on December 31, 1977, to an affluent family in the Gangnam District of Seoul, South Korea.[10] His father, Park Won-Ho, is the executive chairman of DI Corporation, a manufacturer of semiconductor manufacturing equipment listed on the Korea Exchange. His mother, Kim Young-hee, owns several restaurants in Gangnam.
Park attended Banpo (반포) Elementary and Middle Schools and Sehwa (세화) High School. He disliked school and was known as the class clown. In an interview on South Korea's Seoul Broadcasting System, a former teacher of Park said: "I remember Psy making a lot of sexual jokes during class. He had such a big influence that he would drive the entire class to his jokes. I disliked him at the time, but looking back, I see that he added a great energy to the class."
Park told CNN's Alina Cho that when he was 15 years old, he watched a Korean TV programme that introduced foreign pop music. One particular episode showed a concert at Wembley Stadium held by the British rock band Queen where they performed their 1975 hit single "Bohemian Rhapsody". Park said it was this concert footage that sparked his love for music.
In January 2001, Psy debuted his full-length album Psy from the Psycho World!, for which he was fined by South Korean government authorities due to his album's "inappropriate content". Psy was a rookie hip-hop singer that stirred up the Korean pop music scene with very blunt lyrics, peculiar dance moves and an unconventional appearance that earned him the nickname "The Bizarre Singer(엽기가수)".
His second album Sa 2 also created controversy upon its release in 2002, earning complaints from civil groups due to the potentially negative influence his album would have on children and teenagers. Since then, Psy has been thought of as a controversial artist, and Sa 2 was banned in 2002 from being sold to the under-19 set. In September of the same year, Psy released his third album 3 Psy. The album's title song, "Champion", saw great success partly due to the hype from the World Cup games held in Seoul. Despite the significant amount of controversy surrounding his music, Psy was awarded songwriting accolades at the annual Seoul Music Awards, marking his breakthrough in the South Korean music industry.
Gangnam Style
Psy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
강남스타일
낮에는 따사로운 인간적인 여자
커피 한잔의 여유를 아는 품격 있는 여자
밤이 오면 심장이 뜨거워지는 여자
그런 반전 있는 여자
낮에는 너만큼 따사로운 그런 사나이
커피 식기도 전에 원샷 때리는 사나이
밤이 오면 심장이 터져버리는 사나이
그런 사나이
아름다워, 사랑스러워
그래, 너 (hey)
그래, 바로 너 (hey)
아름다워, 사랑스러워
그래, 너 (hey)
그래, 바로 너 (hey)
지금부터 갈 때까지 가볼까
오빤 강남스타일 (uh)
강남스타일
옵-옵-옵-옵 오빤 강남스타일 (uh)
강남스타일
옵-옵-옵-옵 오빤 강남스타일
Eh, sexy lady
옵-옵-옵-옵 오빤 강남스타일
Eh, sexy lady
옵-옵-옵-옵
Eh-eh-eh, eh-eh-eh
정숙해 보이지만 놀 땐 노는 여자
이때다 싶으면 묶었던 머리 푸는 여자
가렸지만 웬만한 노출보다 야한 여자
그런 감각적인 여자
나는 사나이
점잖아 보이지만 놀 땐 노는 사나이
때가 되면 완전 미쳐버리는 사나이
근육보다 사상이 울퉁불퉁한 사나이
그런 사나이
아름다워, 사랑스러워
그래, 너 (hey)
그래, 바로 너 (hey)
아름다워, 사랑스러워
그래, 너 (hey)
그래, 바로 너 (hey)
지금부터 갈 때까지 가볼까
오빤 강남스타일 (uh)
강남스타일
옵-옵-옵-옵 오빤 강남스타일 (uh)
강남스타일
옵-옵-옵-옵 오빤 강남스타일
Eh, sexy lady
옵-옵-옵-옵 오빤 강남스타일
Eh, sexy lady
옵-옵-옵-옵
Eh-eh-eh, eh-eh-eh
뛰는 놈, 그 위에 나는 놈
Baby, baby 나는 뭘 좀 아는 놈
뛰는 놈, 그 위에 나는 놈
Baby, baby 나는 뭘 좀 아는 놈
You know what I'm sayin'?
오빤 강남스타일
Eh-eh-eh, eh-eh-eh
Eh, sexy lady
옵-옵-옵-옵 오빤 강남스타일
Eh, sexy lady
옵-옵-옵-옵
Eh-eh-eh, eh-eh-eh
오빤 강남스타일
Uh
The lyrics of "Gangnam Style" by Psy are a commentary on the materialistic and superficial culture of the Gangnam district in Seoul, South Korea. The song describes two contrasting characters, a man and a woman, who embody the values of Gangnam culture. The woman is described as "humanistic" during the day and "heart-pounding" at night, while the man is "cool" during the day and "heart-exploding" at night.
Both characters are presented as being aware of their own style and grace, and are viewed as desirable and attractive by the singer. The song implies that the materialistic values of Gangnam culture can be oppressive, with the "sexy lady" being described as having to hide her sexuality with conservative clothing during the day.
The chorus of the song consists mainly of the repetition of "Oppan Gangnam Style", which roughly translates to "I am Gangnam Style". The song became an international sensation in 2012, and the accompanying music videos, with its iconic horse-riding dance moves, became a pop culture phenomenon.
Line by Line Meaning
오빤 강남스타일
I am Gangnam Style
강남스타일
Gangnam Style
In the day, warm, human woman
During the day, there is a warm and sociable woman
A classy girl who knows how to enjoy the freedom of a cup of coffee
A woman who enjoys the luxury of having a cup of coffee and is elegant
A woman whose heart gets hotter when night comes
A woman who becomes lively and passionate at night
That kind of twist
That type of unexpected surprise
I'm a guy
I am a man
A guy who is as warm as you during the day
A man who is as friendly and warm as the woman during the day
A guy who one shots his coffee before it even cools down
A man who is like a sharp shooter, finishes his coffee in one gulp
A guy whose heart bursts when night comes
A man whose heart beats rapidly and is excited when night comes
That kind of guy
That type of man
Beautiful, lovely
You are beautiful and lovely
Yes, you hey, yes, you
That's right, I'm talking about you
Beautiful, lovely
You are beautiful and lovely
Yes, you hey, yes, you
That's right, I'm talking about you
From now on, it's a party
Let's have a good time together now
I am Gangnam Style
I represent the Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
This is the Gangnam Style
Eh, sexy lady
Hey, attractive lady
I am Gangnam Style
I represent the Gangnam Style
Eh, sexy lady
Hey, attractive lady
Looks calm but plays when she plays
Appears to be calm, but is actually playful
A woman who lets her hair down when she feels it's time to be wild
A woman who releases her hair and shows her wild side when the mood takes her
A woman who covers up but is more sexy than a woman who bares it all
A woman who is covered up but has a sex appeal that is more attractive than someone who bares it all
That kind of sense
That type of sensibility
I'm a guy
I am a man
A guy who looks quiet but plays when he plays
A man who appears shy, but gets wild when he wants to have fun
A guy who goes completely crazy when the right time comes
A man who goes crazy when the time is right
A man with a steel-like body and spirit
A man with a muscular body and a strong will
That kind of guy
That type of man
Beautiful, lovely
You are beautiful and lovely
Yes, you hey, yes, you
That's right, I'm talking about you
Beautiful, lovely
You are beautiful and lovely
Yes, you hey, yes, you
That's right, I'm talking about you
From now on, it's a party
Let's have a good time together now
I am Gangnam Style
I represent the Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
This is the Gangnam Style
Eh, sexy lady
Hey, attractive lady
I am Gangnam Style
I represent the Gangnam Style
Eh, sexy lady
Hey, attractive lady
A running man on a running man
A man who runs on another running man's foot
Baby baby, I'm a man who knows a thing or two
My dear, I'm a man who is knowledgeable about a lot of things
A running man on a running man
A man who runs on another running man's foot
Baby baby, I'm a man who knows a thing or two
My dear, I'm a man who is knowledgeable about a lot of things
(You know what I'm saying?)
(Do you understand what I mean?)
I am Gangnam Style
I represent the Gangnam Style
Eh, sexy lady
Hey, attractive lady
I am Gangnam Style
I represent the Gangnam Style
Eh, sexy lady
Hey, attractive lady
I am Gangnam Style
I represent the Gangnam Style
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jai Sang Park, Keon Hyung Yoo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind