Giddy up! S. Korean rapper Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ is unstoppable
Korean-pop rapper Psy’s video “Gangnam Style” is taking over the world.
Gawker suggested“Gangnam Style” may be the best music video of the year. American auto-tune aficionado T-Pain tweeted, “Words cannot even describe how amazing this video is...” And Scooter Braun, who manages pop-munchkins Justin Bieberand Carley Rae Jepsen tweeted, “HOW DID I NOT SIGN THIS GUY!?!??!... GANGNAM STYLE!!!! #THEGREATEST. “
The video features Psy, also known as Park Jae-sang, in various upscale locations doing a funky horse riding dance. A couple of famous Korean comedians make cameo appearances in the video, so does a member of the Korean pop group 4Minute--she’s the girl with the red hair wearing the blouse decorated with billiard balls.
The video became a huge online hit in Korea about a week before it reached viral success throughout the world, said Kevin Allocca, YouTube trends manager. As of Thursday the video was one of the most shared videos in South Korea, as well as the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, Singapore and Sweden.
It’s not just the Olympics that brings together the citizens of the world, people. It’s also completely insane, hilarious, high-energy music videos.
Insane, hilarious, high-energy music videos may be kind of a universal language of their own, but since most of the words in the song are in Korean--except for “style” and “sexy lady,”--we were curious what the song was actually about.
Luckily, our editor knew someone who knew someone who provided the following loose and abbreviated translation:
“A lady who is warm like daylight, who knows how to enjoy a cup of coffee with ease, whose heart gets hotter as night gets near, a lady who has unexpected character.
I am a man who gets hot in the daytime like you! I am a man who can have one shot of coffee before cooling it down, a man with a heart that explodes at night, I am that kind of man. I am (big brother), Oppa Gangnam Style!!!
A lady who looks conservative, but knows when to play hard, a lady who knows when to let her hair down, a lady who seems fragile, but sexy at the same time.
I am a man’s man, I may be conservative, yet I know when to have fun and play hard. A man who can go crazy when the time is right, a man who is bulging with social life instead of bulging with muscles. I am the man.
You are beautiful, lovable, yes, you.”
And so on...
Essentially, the song is about finding the perfect girlfriend who knows when to be refined and when to get wild.
As for why the video is so successful--12 million views and counting--it’s pretty obvious. Just watch it. Then watch it again. Then watch it one more time after that. And another time...
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