Why Gangnam Style became more popular than other typical Kpop idol songs
Can you believe that a Kpop song reached no. 1 on iTunes in 31 countries, even though it is not an English song, but a Korean song called "Gangnam Style" by PSY? Actually, nobody expected that this song could become a great hit worldwide, but it spread all over the world very quickly thanks to YouTube. In this article, I am going to talk about why "Gangnam Style" became more popular than other typical Kpop idol songs.
Recently, Kpop has been popular in Asia and has had some fan groups in Western countries, but Kpop itself refers to songs for the younger generation, which have been performed by girl and boy groups so far. However, Psy's "Gangnam Style" showed a different side of Kpop songs, because he didn't imitate the pop idols and instead created his own style that nobody had performed before.
Psy is so unique, even in Korea. He has kept his own character since he debuted in 2001, a cheap and comic image. This means that he enjoys performing in his own style. From his debut until now, he has released 5 albums and has had 6 number 1 hit songs in Korea. His music is always cheerful and makes us excited, because he produces his songs himself in order to pursue his own style. The interesting thing is that his style has gained in popularity because his songs give comfort to people who are suffering through a long recession.
Why did "Gangnam Style" become popular? The contract with Justin Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, played an important role, but without YouTube, none of it might have happened. Currently, Psy's "Gangnam Style" has racked up over 400 million views on YouTube, becoming the most-liked video in the site's history. Actually, he didn't make any effort to promote his song except by making the comic music video. I think YouTube changed the way music is promoted, which means that there are no longer barriers to finding music. A few years ago, one Indian song was popular in Korea because of its comic style. Psy's song is the same case.
Psy's success is not by chance, because he has been developing his own music style for 10 years. "Gangnam Style" is just the first of his songs to show his character and music to the world. I'm sure again that creating one's own style is always better than imitating others in many areas. Furthermore, anyone can become a star through YouTube if they have a special talent that other stars haven't shown.
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