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.
Korea
Psy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Giwang kal ppobasseumyeon murado sseoreo kkeuteul boji anheumyeon bunhaeseo
Tteoreo
Kkumeseo meoreojyeodo jeoldae seoreowohaji anko dallyeoga nan ajik eoryeo
Kkeutnal ttaekkaji kkeutnan ge aniya, handa kkeutkkaji hanguk saramiya
Modu ireona jigeum modu ireona modu ireonaya keun iri ireona
Deulgo ireona jigeum deulgo ireona deulgo ireonaya geuraeya korea
Korea deo keuge korea deo keuge korea deo sege korea ooo (x2)
Yaya, yayayaya, yayayayayayaya ooo(x2)
Nuga nareul siheomhae geu siheomeun wiheomhae hanbeon handa hamyeon haetda
Hamyeon eomaeomahae
5cheonmanui hamseongi uriui soriya hanbandoui soriya korea
Kkeutnal ttaekkaji kkeutnan ge aniya, handa kkeutkkaji hanguk saramiya
Modu ireona jigeum modu ireona modu ireonaya keun iri ireona
Deulgo ireona jigeum deulgo ireona deulgo ireonaya geuraeya korea
Korea deo keuge korea deo keuge korea deo sege korea ooo (x2)
Pungagi ullinda pungagi ullinda 5cheonmanui hamseongi ullyeo peojinda
Yaya, yayayaya, yayayayayayaya ooo(x2)
In "Korea," Psy celebrates his home country and expresses pride in its rich culture and history. The lyrics describe the unique qualities that make Korea special, such as its resilience in the face of adversity and the beauty of its landscape. Psy acknowledges that the road ahead may be challenging, but he encourages his fellow Koreans to continue moving forward with determination and a strong sense of identity.
The song opens with the line "Our place, our beautiful shelter," which establishes a sense of pride and ownership from the outset. Psy goes on to describe how even if the kingdom were to collapse, he would not be able to see the end. The mention of dreams and perseverance suggests that despite difficulties, Korea will endure. The repeated refrain of "Korea, louder Korea" reinforces this idea, as though the country's people must continually assert their identity.
The song also mentions the impact of Korean culture on the world, with references to popular Korean music and the spread of Korean food. Overall, "Korea" is a powerful celebration of national identity and pride.
Line by Line Meaning
Uriui geot uriui meot sojunghan geot sarainne
Our story, our best story, we know it well
Giwang kal ppobasseumyeon murado sseoreo kkeuteul boji anheumyeon bunhaeseo
If a purple storm comes and we can't see the end, just describe it
Tteoreo
Disperse
Kkumeseo meoreojyeodo jeoldae seoreowohaji anko dallyeoga nan ajik eoryeo
Even if I drift far away in a dream, I won't easily let go and I am still running
Kkeutnal ttaekkaji kkeutnan ge aniya, handa kkeutkkaji hanguk saramiya
Not ending until the end, we are Korean until the end
Modu ireona jigeum modu ireona modu ireonaya keun iri ireona
Everyone come and see, now everyone come and see, this great feeling
Deulgo ireona jigeum deulgo ireona deulgo ireonaya geuraeya korea
Everyone listen, now listen, now it's Korea
Korea deo keuge korea deo keuge korea deo sege korea ooo (x2)
Korea louder, Korea louder, Korea higher Korea ooo (x2)
Pungagi ullinda pungagi ullinda 5cheonmanui hamseongi ullyeo peojinda
The wind blows, the wind blows and the shouts of 500,000 people rise
Yaya, yayayaya, yayayayayayaya ooo(x2)
Yaya, yayayaya, yayayayayayaya ooo(x2)
Nuga nareul siheomhae geu siheomeun wiheomhae hanbeon handa hamyeon haetda
Who is testing me? That test is dangerous, but if I endure once, it's done
Hamyeon eomaeomahae
If I endure, I will be the best
5cheonmanui hamseongi uriui soriya hanbandoui soriya korea
The shouts of 500,000 people, our voice, the voice of one Korea
Contributed by Jake F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cesneaks5675
I love Korean culture and its people :) everyone i met in Seoul was deep, energetic, fun and sooo kind. Greeting from Germany 🇩🇪❤🇰🇷
@army.angel33
Sinto muito
@user-by7bn6hr5l
thank you❤
@user-fs3re4gs4h
ㅗ
@newbie777
yes,me too
@willstiehl6079
I don't know why, I'm from the USA and I love the Korean culture, but this song genuinely made me cry... I think because it is just such an amazing video and it feels like it brings the countries culture together in such an amazing way, like the feelings just welled up inside me... Its amazing
@deroppa2693
great i think its also good
@benkim2016
Subeditor you used to be a Korean in the past life!
@willstiehl6079
@speako 13 is turkey terrorist fatih turkey this is such a great point that I didn't even think of or realize, and yet it's so true!! Thank you so much
@Julia-nl3gq
Hi, neighbour! I'm Canadian, I know what you mean, I feel the same way about this song. Psy has so many great songs, it's a shame that so many of us here in the USA and Canada know only Gangnam Style! My favourite so far is 'It's Art', but this one is amazing, too, and so is ''Right Now'.