GANGNAM STYLE

Gangnam Style" (Korean: 강남스타일, IPA: [kaŋnam sɯtʰail]) is a single by South Korean rapper Psy. The song was released on July 15, 2012, as the lead single of his sixth studio album PSY's Best 6th Part 1. "Gangnam Style" debuted at number one on the Gaon Chart, the national record chart of South Korea.[1] As of October 12, 2012 (2012 -10-12)[update], the music video has been viewed over 440 million times on YouTube,[2][3] and is the site's most watched K-pop video.[4] The video has been shared on the Internet by numerous celebrities including T-Pain, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Tom Cruise, covered by music artists Nelly Furtado[5] and Maroon 5,[6] and featured in international media outlets such as CNN International, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Harvard Business Review,[7] and the global politics magazine Foreign Policy.[8] "Gangnam Style" flash mobs have appeared in cities around the world. The video has become a source of parodies and reaction videos by many different groups including The Oregon Duck, midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy, and the North Korean government.[9][10] Psy has brought the "Gangnam Style" dance to various locations including The Today Show, Saturday Night Live, Dodger Stadium, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Samsung commercials.[11] "Gangnam Style" has been highly praised for its catchy beat and Psy's humorous dance moves in the music video and live performances. On September 17, the song was nominated for Best Video at the upcoming 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards to be held in Frankfurt, Germany.[12] On September 20, 2012, "Gangnam Style" was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most "liked" video in YouTube history.[13] Contents [hide] 1 Background 2 Music video 2.1 Synopsis 3 Release and reception 4 Appearances and live performances 5 Impact 5.1 Popular culture 5.2 Parodies and covers 5.2.1 North Korean parody 5.3 References in politics 5.4 Academia 6 Controversy 6.1 El Monte lifeguards incident 6.2 Parody by the Royal Thai Navy 7 Censorship 8 Role of social media 9 Chart performance 10 Charts and certifications 10.1 Weekly charts 10.2 Certifications 11 "Oppa Is Just My Style" 12 See also 13 References 14 External links Background"Gangnam Style" is a Korean neologism that refers to a lifestyle associated with the Gangnam district[14] of Seoul,[15] 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.[16] Psy likened the Gangnam District to Beverly Hills, California, and said in an interview that he intended a twisted sense of humor by claiming himself to be "Gangnam Style" when everything about the song, dance, looks, and the music video is far from being such a high class.[17] People who are actually from Gangnam never proclaim that they are—it's only the posers and wannabes that put on these airs and say that they are "Gangnam Style" — so this song is actually poking fun at those kinds of people who are trying so hard to be something that they're not. —Psy[18] The song talks about "the perfect girlfriend who knows when to be refined and when to get wild."[19] The song's refrain "오빤 강남 스타일 (Oppan Gangnam style)" has been translated as "Big brother is Gangnam style", with Psy referring to himself;[20][21] "Oppa" is a Korean expression used by females to refer to an older male friend or older brother.[22] The music was composed by Psy and Yoo Gun-hyung, a producer in South Korea who also collaborated with Psy in the past. Yoo also arranged the song while Psy was responsible for the lyrics. Music videoThe music video shows Psy performing a comical horse-riding dance and appearing in unexpected locations around the Gangnam District, such as an outdoor yoga session and a hot tub. He wears several distinctive suits and black sunglasses with a mindset of "dress classy and dance cheesy".[23] It features a "skewering [of] the Gangnam image" by the "non-Gangnam PSY"; this parody would be recognizable to viewers familiar with Korean culture.[24] The music video shows Psy dancing at various locations in Gangnam.[25] 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 and bathroom scene were filmed elsewhere in the greater Seoul region.[26] The video was shot over 48 hours in July.[27][28] 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.[29] Making appearances in the music video are: 4minute member Hyuna playing Psy's love interest and appearing in the two final dance sequences.[25][28] Big Bang members Daesung and Seungri appear in the video as two old men playing a board game in the park; they are the two men flying in the background after the explosion.[30] Hwang Min-woo, a 5-year-old boy who is seen dancing at the beginning of the video. During an interview with CNN, Psy stated that "the night before the music video shoot, I was watching Korea's Got Talent and saw him dance to Michael Jackson. His moves were ridiculous. So we called him up and asked him to be in the music video, which was shooting the very next day, and he came and it all worked out."[18][28] He has been praised for his eye-catching dance moves that has received a lot of attention from viewers.[31] Comedian/television personality, Korea's Nation emcee Yoo Jae-Suk, in a dance duel with Psy.[25][28] Comedian/television personality, No Hongchul, dancing in an elevator with his trademark pelvis-thrusting, with Psy rapping underneath him.[25][28] According to The Guardian, Psy has waived his copyright to the music video. Although this has not been officially confirmed, it is likely that Psy has simply refrained from taking legal action against parodies of his video. "Gangnam Style" is therefore a video that is "born to spawn".[32] SynopsisPsy is lounging at what looks like a sandy beach, but the camera zooms out to reveal he is actually at a playground.[29] The video alternates between the playground, where a boy (Hwang Min-Woo) dances next to him, and a row of horses in stalls, where Psy performs his signature "invisible horse dance".[33] As Psy (and two girls) walk through a parking garage, they are pelted by pieces of newspaper, trash, and snow.[27] At a sauna, he rests his head on a man's shoulder, while another man covered in tattoos is stretching. He sings in front of two men playing chess, dances with a woman at a tennis court, and bounces around on a tour bus of seniors. The scenes alternate quickly until there is an explosion at the chess players. He walks towards the camera, exclaiming "Oppan Gangnam style". He and some dancers perform at a horse stable. He dances as two women walk backwards. He dances at the tennis court, a carousel, and the tour bus. He shuffles into an outdoor yoga session. He dances on a boat. The camera zooms on a woman's butt, then shows Psy "yelling" at it.[27][28] At a car-park, Psy is approached by a man (Yoo Jae-Suk) with a red Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class and a yellow suit; they have a dance duel. He appears in an elevator underneath a man (Noh Hong Chul) who is straddling him and thrusting his pelvis. The man in the yellow suit gets in his car and leaves. In a subway cabin, he notices an attractive young woman (Hyuna) dancing. At one of the train stops, he approaches the girl in slow motion, and she does the same. They start to embrace. He then tells the girl "Oppan Gangnam style", and they horse dance along with some others at the train stop. He also surfaces from a spa.[34][28][27] Psy sings to the girl at a night club as people in all sorts of costumes walk behind them. He raps "seriously" in an enclosed space, but when the camera zooms out, he is actually sitting on a toilet with his pants down.[27] Psy and a large group of dancers do the horse dance and strike a final pose. After some additional footage of the dance duel, Psy says, "Oppan Gangnam style", and the video finishes with a cartoon graphic. Release and receptionOn July 15, 2012, the music video for "Gangnam Style" was uploaded onto YouTube and received about 500,000 views on its first day.[35] Two days later, it was reported that a Japanese adaptation of "Gangnam Style", Roppongi Style, would soon be released in late September. Although Psy had told reporters that he was confident of a successful Japanese debut despite his looks,[36] it was cancelled in August 2012 because the original "Gangnam Style" had been poorly received by viewers in Japan.[37] In mid-August 2012, "Gangnam Style" began to catch the attention of media networks around the world. Maura Judkis from The Washington Post wrote, "'Gangnam Style' has made an extraordinarily stupid-looking dance move suddenly cool".[38] The German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel similarly attributed the growing popularity of "Gangnam Style" to its daring dance moves.[39] 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."[40] Deborah Netburn of the Los Angeles Times called it "one of the greatest videos ever to be uploaded to YouTube."[41] Matt Miller, a host from the business and financial news broadcaster Bloomberg Television, played "Gangnam Style" during his show, because "it's 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.[42] Although "Gangnam Style" has been met with largely positive reactions, some have found it wacky or even vulgar.[43] Matt Buchanan and Scott Ellis of The Sydney Morning Herald wrote 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."[44] Gangnam style gets UN stamp of approval “”Agence France-Presse, October 9, 2012[45][46]Paul Lester of The Guardian labelled it as "generic ravey Euro dance with guitars".[47] and Robert Myers of The Village Voice called it "an inspired piece of silliness".[48] Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, claims that the seemingly bad elements of "Gangnam Style" all come together to create "an awesome whole".[49] UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has hailed the song as a "force for world peace".[45][46] Worldwide reception: [show]Country Reporter/Journalist Source Quote Belgium Gunter Van Assche De Morgen Het onzichtbare paard in het dwaze dansje zou een metafoor zijn voor de bezits-drang van de mens[50] [ The invisible horse in this silly dance is like a metaphor that represents man's desire to be rich ] Brazil Marcela Puccia Braz Viajeaqui a música ser uma paródia crítica a essa cultura, à medida que Psy mistura elementos cafonas a símbolos da elite sul-coreana [The song is a parody in which Psy mixes elements and symbols of the elitist South Korean culture to criticize it][51] China People's Daily 韩国歌手Psy的"神曲"《江南style》...[52] [ 《Gangnam Style》, a "divine melody" by Korean singer Psy... ] Chile La Nación ...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, la Plaza de Armas, el Ministerio de Educación, el Metro y la Casa Central de la Universidad de Chile, entre otras.[53] [...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 ] Finland Ilta-Sanomat Unohtakaa Macarena, tässä tulee hevostanssi![54] [ Forget about "Macarena", here comes the horse dance! ] France Stéphane Lagarde Radio France Internationale "Gangnam Style", la très addictive danse du cheval[55] [ "Gangnam Style", the highly addictive horse dance ] Guatemala Prensa Libre ...la clásica historia de “chico busca chica” adaptada al acomodado barrio de Gangnam[56] [ ...the classical tale of "boy looking for a girl" adapted to the affluent district of Gangnam ] Germany Jan Augustiny Stern Er (Psy) sieht aus wie Kim Jong-Il...[57] [He (Psy) looks like Kim Jong-Il.] India Shonali Muthalaly The Hindu He's (Psy's) willing to laugh at the world, and himself. And this sharp subversive humour is what elevates the song from catchy to memorable.[58] Israel Lahav Harkov The Jerusalem Post Gangnam Style – the Korean pop hit that took the world by storm. Israeli artist Agent K made his own version, "Jewish Style", which borders on offensive with its extensive use of stereotypes[59] Montenegro Mirela Hodžić Vijesti "Najpoznatiji i najpopularniji svjetski jezik je muzika", kaže PSY "[60] [ "The most popular foreign language is music", says PSY ] Norway Lina Hekkli, Se og Hør Nå har selvsagt også «Skal vi danse»-deltagerne kastet seg på trenden, og fredag publiserte Linni Meister og hennes dansepartner Calle Sterner en video på «Skal vi danse»-bloggen sin der de prøver seg «Gangnam Style». [ Participants of Skal vi danse (Dance competition) joined in the trend, and on Friday, Linni Meister and her dance companion Calle Sterner uploaded a video where they danced to «Gangnam Style». ][61] Poland TVN24 Zobacz jak "Gangnam Style" tańczyło całe "Dzień Dobry TVN"[62] [ Look how our crew at Dzień Dobry TVN (TV Programme) danced to "Gangnam Style" ] Russia Boris Barabanov Kommersant За этот короткий срок Сай успел стать не только рекордсменом, но и любимцем всей музыкальной индустрии[63] [ In this short amount of time, Psy has not only become a record-holder, but also a darling of the entire music industry ] South Africa Jakie May The Sunday Times The crazily cheesy music video 'Gangnam Style' opens with a beautiful young woman fanning a man's chubby face[64] Sweden Hanna Fahl Dagens Nyheter En världshit med välproducerat dansgolvsbeat och oemotståndligt klistrig refräng – på koreanska[65] [A worldwide hit with a well-produced dance floor beat and an irresistable, inescapable refrain – in Korean] Switzerland Dominique Marcel Iten, DRS 3 Zurzeit begeistert aber ausgerechnet ein verrückter Südkoreaner unter dem Pseudonym PSY die ganze Welt[66] [ Right now, the entire world is fascinated by a mad South Korean with the pseudonym PSY ] United Kingdom Justin McCurry The Guardian His quirky dance steps and unforgettable sing-a-long chorus have given us the smash pop hit of the year'[67] South Korea, Japan, and the K-Pop community: [show]A few days after "Gangnam Style" first appeared on Youtube in mid-July 2012, the song began to appear on various English-language websites that are visited by K-Pop fans from all around the world. On July 17, 2012, Allkpop reported that the song has "swept the music charts [in South Korea]", and it praised "Gangnam Style" for its fresh lyrics and electronic beats.[68] The song was also positively reviewed by Soompi, one of the world's most visited Korean pop culture websites with Spanish and French versions. Simon and Martina Stawski, a Canadian couple living in Seoul who were among the first to parody "Gangnam Style" in late July, wrote that the song has the potential to become "one of the biggest songs of the year". [69] However, during an interview by Al Jazeera a few weeks later, Martina Stawski claimed that the worldwide popularity of "Gangnam Style" has been viewed negatively by some K-Pop fans, because "they [the fans] didn't want K-Pop being liked by other people who don't understand K-Pop".[70][71] This view is also supported by Promi Ferdousi, a K-Pop fan who writes that the song "has managed to find its way into our clubs while the best K-pop songs are limited to niche groups on social-media websites." She asserts that there is more to K-pop than Gangnam Style, and also calls the song a "joke": “ ‘Gangnam Style’ was supposed to be joke, and that is how the majority of real K-pop fans (including me) view it. ” —Promi Ferdousi, a British K-Pop fan whose article about Gangnam Style was published by Spiked magazine[72] Cha Woo-jin, a local South Korean music critic , told The Chosun Ilbo that "Gangnam Style"'s sophisticated rendering and arrangement has made it very appealing to the general public.[73] Choe Kwang-shik, the South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told reporters that "Gangnam Style" had played an important role in introducing the Korean culture, language, and lifestyle to the rest of the world. [74] However, some have criticized the song for failing to accurately represent South Korean culture. Oh Young-Jin, managing editor of The Korea Times, wrote that the dance has more to do with Americans than Koreans.[75] In Japan, the song has met with considerable criticism. When "Gangnam Style" first appeared in Japanese TV Shows back in July, the reaction from viewers was horrible. As a result, Psy’s Japanese record label YGEX decided to cancel a previously planned Japanese version of "Gangnam Style". [37] According to The Dong-a Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper, the song's lukewarm reception in Japan could have been caused by a diplomatic conflict between the two countries.[76] Appearances and live performancesFollowing the release of "Gangnam Style", Psy made several performances on television and at concerts in Korea. Among the first of such performances include his appearance on the weekly South Korean music program, The Music Trend.[77] Psy also performed at several concerts prior to his departure to the US, including during "The Heumbbeok Show"[78] and the Summer Stand Concert in Seoul.[79] On August 20, Psy posted on Twitter "Bringing #GANGNAM STYLE to the Dodgers–Giants game this evening". Dodger Stadium presented a segment called "PSY Dance Cam" where they showed clips of the music video, followed by live shots of baseball fans dancing, and then Psy, who waves and does the dance.[80] Two days later, Psy appeared on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live show, and taught television hosts Carrie Keagan and Jason Dundas how to dance "Gangnam Style".[81][82] On September 6, Psy appeared on the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards performing his "Gangnam Style" dance alongside comedian Kevin Hart.[83] After the event, He would make several more appearances on US TV programs. On September 10, he appeared on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show in Burbank, California, 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"[23][84][85] and when Ellen told Britney she would have to remove her high-heeled shoes to perform the dance Psy protested that no, the point was, 'to dress classy, and dance cheesy.' On September 14, he appeared on NBC's morning program Today in New York City for its Toyota Concert Series, where he performed the song and also taught the anchors the dance.[86][87] 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.[88] On September 22, Psy made an appearance at the iHeartRadio Music Festival to perform "Gangnam Style".[89] Psy would return to South Korea on September 25;[90] while the rapper was in the US, it was announced that he, as ambassador of the Formula One Korean Grand Prix, will perform "Gangnam Style" at the event during the 2012 edition.[91] On October 4, Psy performed "Gangnam Style" during a free concert that he held outside the Seoul City Hall. More than 80,000 fans attended the event, leading to the closure of a part of the city center and an increase in subway operations.[92][93] ImpactThe music video for the song has gone viral and is an Internet meme.[94] Hallie Sekoff of The Huffington Post quoted from the video's official YouTube video description that the song is characterized by its "strongly addictive beats", and wrote that this is not too far-fetched, considering "how obsessed we've found ourselves."[95] During VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live show, the television host Carrie Keagan said that everyone in our office is "completely obsessed" with "Gangnam Style".[81][82] Melissa Locker of Time noted that "it's hard not to watch again …and again …and again",[96] while CNN reporter Shanon Cook told the audience that she had watched "Gangnam Style" about 15 times.[97] as of September 28, 2012 (2012 -09-28)[update], the song's YouTube music video had been accessed by people from 222 countries.[76] A view of Gangnam Station intersectionDuring 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.[98] 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".[99] 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, coffee and brunch, followed by the casino and clubbing.[58] In September 2012, Korean grandmothers at the Palisades Park Senior Citizens Center in Bergen County, New Jersey were noted to follow the dance trend of Gangnam Style.[100] In Thailand, two local gangs provoked each other by dancing "Gangnam Style", eventually leading to a gun fight with more than 50 rounds fired.[101] On September 7, the South Korean technology company Samsung Electronics announced that Psy would be one of the new faces promoting its Zipel line of refrigerators.[11] 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.[102] In early September, the Gangnam district awarded Psy with a plaque and named him an honorary ambassador.[103] 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)".[104] Soon afterwards, it was reported that Psy had left for Los Angeles to meet with representatives of Justin Bieber, to explore collaboration opportunities.[14][43] 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.[105] Popular cultureMain article: Gangnam Style in popular culture ...it has taken over the world, it has taken over the intrawebs, and now it's time for it to take over Times Square. “”ABC News[106] during a "Gangnam Style" flash mob in Manhattan, September 12, 2012.Through social networks like Facebook, many other small, unofficial fan-organized flash mobs have been held in universities and colleges throughout the world. The earliest flash mobs were held in Pasadena, California,[107] and Sydney, Australia.[108] On September 12, Times Square in Manhattan was filled with a flash mob dancing to the music of "Gangnam Style" during ABC's Good Morning America.[109] Since September 2012, the dance has also been performed by athletes in international competitions.[110][111][112] GMD3 and Rylan, finalists of the British music competition The X Factor, lip-synced and danced to "Gangnam Style" in a promotion.[113] On September 27 2012, Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google was reported to have danced "Gangnam Style" when he visited the company's office in Seoul. Nick Carbone from Time described it as cringe-worthy because "It's the same reason why you'd never want to see your dad planking on top of the family car".[114] In October 2012, clothing retailers announced they are planning to sell "Gangnam Style" inspired clothing for Halloween.[115] Parodies and coversReaction videos and parodies have been made for or with the music respectively. Some of these user generated videos have received international media recognition. "Gangnam Style"-related videos have also been uploaded by Cody Simpson,[116] Seungri,[117] Latino,[118] Fine Brothers,[119] Barely Political,[120] the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders,[121] and The Ohio University Marching 110.[122] During the two weeks leading up to August 8, 2012, nearly 1,000 videos with "gangnam" in the title were uploaded onto YouTube.[35] On August 16, 2012, Nelly Furtado performed the song at her concert in the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines.[5] In Geneva, Switzerland, about 300 people gathered at the International Monument to the Reformation for a parody of "Gangnam Style" organized by a local radio station.[123] Universities, such as the University of Maryland of College Park, created music video parodies of the song, many utilizing flash mobs. [124] The following parodies, cover versions and live versions have been featured in influential newspapers or broadcasting networks of various countries: Author(s) Title Featured in The Oregon Duck "Gangnam Style Parody (강남스타일) – The Oregon Duck"[125] USA Today[126] The Presidents Race "Presidents Race PSY Gangnam Style"[127] The Washington Post[128] 22nd Company, U.S. Naval Academy "Gangnam Style – USNA Spirit Spot"[129] CBS News[130] Third Naval Area Command, Royal Thai Navy "Gangnam Style สามัคคีนาวีอันดามัน "[131] Associated Press[132] 5 Para A Meia-Noite "Gamar com style / Pedro Fernandes / 5 Para a Meia-Noite"[133] Rádio e Televisão de Portugal[134] Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center "CPDRC Inmates Gangnam Style (2012)"[135] Agence France-Presse[136] North Korean parodyOn September 18, 2012, the North Korean government uploaded a parody with the title "I'm Yushin style!" onto the government website Uriminzokkiri.[137] It is a parody of South Korea's ruling conservative party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye, and shows a photo-shopped image of her performing the horse-riding dance, while mocking her as a devoted admirer of the Yushin system of autocratic rule set up by her father, Park Chung-hee.[10][138] At the end of the video, next to an image of Park dancing "Gangnam Style", the video declares, "Yes I love Yushin. Yushin is my hometown, my creed, my future. I'm Yushin style"[139] According to Josh Visser from the National Post, North Korea's video cannot be compared with the original "Gangnam Style" because of its "'Scooby-Doo'-style sound effects and 1960s big band brass".[140] John Hudson from The Atlantic Wire wrote that most frames of the video are too dark to even make out the imagery, and he dismisses the parody as "Pyongyang's last attempt at cultural appropriation".[141] Mok Yong Jae from Daily NK, an online newspaper run by opponents of the North Korean government, claims that Uriminzokkiri is a "propaganda website" and labels the "Gangnam Style" parody as an attempt to link Park Geun Hye with her father's two decades of dictatorial rule.[139] References in politicsOn October 3, 2012, "Gangnam Style" was mentioned during a U.S. State Department briefing when a reporter asked spokeswoman Victoria Nuland if she had heard about the song, to which Nuland replied: "No, but I bet you my daughter does. She loves Korean pop." She also told the international media that she planned to "dial it up" and watch the video.[142][143] On October 9, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, held a speech at the 2012 Conservative Party Conference, where he admitted that "Gangnam Style is very good".[144] He talked about the vast variety of exports that originate from London, including television aerials which the Koreans use to watch "Gangnam Style". He also jokingly claimed that he and the British Prime Minister David Cameron have danced "Gangnam Style".[145] During an interview with the French news agency AFP, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon revealed that he has watched "Gangnam Style" several times. He hailed the song as a " force for world peace" and added that "there are no languages required in the musical world. That is the power of music, that is the power of the heart. Through this promotion of arts we can better understand the culture and civilisations of other people. In this era of instability and intolerance we need to promote better understanding through the power of music."[146] Position Name of political leader Quote President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim I love Gangnam Style, my 3-year old son dances around doing Gangnam Style all the time[147][148] Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong Enjoyed this Singaporean parody of “Gangnam Style”, produced for Children’s Day.[149][150] Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak Been hearing about Gangnam Style all of last week, even in the news. What's your view that makes it so popular?[151] AcademiaDan Freeman, Marketing professor at the University of Delaware, remarks that Psy's achievement is an anomaly which counters the typical trend of successful international artists, because foreign music poses a difficult challenge due to language issues, making it unlikely for a song to catch on "when you don't even understand the words". Freeman asserts that Psy owes his success in the United States to YouTube, because of YouTube's effectiveness in reaching a broad market.[152] According to a blog post published on the Harvard Business Review by Dae Ryun Chang, Professor of Marketing at Yonsei University, one primary factor that has contributed to "Gangnam Style"s international success is the song's intentional lack of a copyright. This allows people to easily adopt, re-stylize and then spread the song.[7] Brian Gozun, Dean of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business at De La Salle University, writes that the absence of a copyright and the use of crowd-sourcing are just some of the more innovative ways that Psy has marketed his song.[153] David Bell, marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that "Gangnam Style" lacks a certain aggressive attitude that many find offensive in the rap genre, and "Gangnam Style" is like a classic rap video from a few years ago with girls and cars—"not as offensive and in your face, but with a humorous edge". Bell argues that it is Psy's accessible image, not his message, that has made the song so popular.[154] The French-born political commentator Tim Soutphommasane, a Research fellow at Monash University, agrees that the Gangnam phenomenon is "something worth studying". According to Soutphommasane, the world is only beginning to appreciate Gangnam Style as "part of a broader hallyu cultural wave coming out of the country [South Korea]".[155] The American Council on Exercise has estimated that dancing "Gangnam Style" will burn 150-200 calories per half hour.[156] ControversyEl Monte lifeguards incidentIn 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",[157] and "the city holds all employees to a higher standard."[158] 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".[159] 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."[160] Quintero stated that, "I think it's very important that we take a very good and thorough look at what happened so that we can avoid this from happening again".[161] At a meeting on September 18, after hearing from residents the El Monte City Council called for an investigation into the firing. Hundreds attended the meeting. The meeting prompted columnist Frank C. Girardot to suggest that the lifeguards' struggle would make a great film with the title High School Musical 14: The Hollywood Lifeguards.[162] In early October 2012, Quintero indicated that he wanted to rehire the lifeguards.[163] Parody by the Royal Thai NavyWhile the "Gangnam Style" parody by midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy was praised by Commander William Marks, Public Information Officer at the Naval Academy, because "Even in the demanding environment of the Naval Academy, it's good to see that the midshipmen have struck a chord with the American public",[164] the parody by officers from the Royal Thai Navy was not as well received by some high-ranking commanders. Although Vice Admiral Tharathorn Kajitsuwan from the Third Naval Area Command insisted that "we had no intention to insult or make fun of navy officers in uniform", some senior officers have called it "improper". Kajitsuwan claimed that his subordinates had the right to upload the video to YouTube, although he did not expect them to do so. On October 1, 2012, he issued an apology to his colleagues. Commander Surasak Rounroengrom believes an investigation is unnecessary because the video caused no damage to the Navy, but he admits that there was some impropriety about military officers doing their "fancy stepping in uniform".[165] CensorshipAccording to The Dong-a Ilbo, a Korean newspaper, "Gangnam Style" has hardly been mentioned by the Japanese media.[76] In comparison with China and other neighboring countries, the song is almost entirely unknown in Japan. The Dong-a Ilbo claimed that this is due to a bilateral diplomatic conflict with South Korea, and it accused the Japanese media of keeping its people "in the dark".[76] In Germany, an ongoing dispute between YouTube and the GEMA (the country's performance rights organization) regarding copyright issues has led to thousands of music videos, including "Gangnam Style",[166] being blocked in the country.[167] Users trying to access the official "Gangnam Style" music video without connecting to a foreign Proxy server would encounter the following error message: "Dieses Video ist in Deutschland leider nicht verfügbar, da es möglicherweise Musik enthält, für die die erforderlichen Musikrechte von der GEMA nicht eingeräumt wurden."[168] (This video is not available in Germany, because it may contain music for which the necessary rights are not granted by the GEMA) Role of social media A resident of a shelter for disabled persons doing the Gangnam Style dance during a U.S. Navy community service visit in Geojedo, South KoreaThe video was uploaded on July 15, 2012.[2] 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.[14][169] On September 1, it overtook Girls' Generation's "Gee" to become the most viewed K-pop video on YouTube.[4] 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 9 million views per day within just 2 months. This is mainly because "Call Me Maybe" remained largely a North American trend, whereas the popularity of "Gangnam Style" is not confined to the United States.[170] On September 13, 2012, "Gangnam Style" became the most liked video on YouTube with over 1.6 million likes,[171] beating LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" for the number one spot.[172] On September 20, 2012, "Gangnam Style", with 2,141,758 likes, was officially recognized by the Guinness World Records as the most "liked" video in YouTube history.[13] About 47% of the views came from the United States, 7% from the United Kingdom, 6.8% from Canada and 4% from South Korea.[104] During the time period from September 11 to September 18, the number of Facebook and Twitter shares of the "Gangnam Style" music video almost quadrupled from about 200,000 to more than 700,000.[173] By the end of September 2012, out of the 10 most viral videos in the Internet, five were videos related to "Gangnam Style".[174] Celebrity tweets and comments 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.[175][176] 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?"[177] on July 30. This was soon followed by Robbie Williams,[178] Britney Spears,[179] Katy Perry,[47] Tom Cruise,[180] Joseph Gordon-Levitt[181] and William Gibson,[182] who have either commented about or shared the video with their fans via Twitter.

gangnam in english

GANGNAM STYLE

Saturday, 13 October 2012

INTRODUCTION

Friday, 12 October 2012

ALL ABOUT GANGNAM