Gangnam Style

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, there’s a good chance that the words Gangnam Style evoke within you a feeling, a state of mind – nay – a way of life, that has permeated your being to its core. For you unfortunate souls out there oblivious to this phenomenon I ask that before reading further you take a mere  4 minutes to watch the music video.

Some of you may be at this moment shaking your head, rolling your eyes, or sighing while doing one of the previous two. You perhaps feel indignant that I would waste your time with unmerited postulations about a pop culture phenomenon past its hayday. You’re Gangnamed out – I get it. I’ve definitely felt that way at times, believe me, but I implore you to bear with me for there is much to be learned my friends.

A few fun facts for the uninformed:

Gangnam Style is the name of a song and music video by South Korean pop sensation PSY. This is by no means PSY’s first rodeo, the dude produced six studio albums before Gangnam Style. After its release the music video was tweeted and retweeted by various celebrities (T-Pain, Britney Spears, Tom Cruise to name a few), went viral and reached 200 million views in a weekend. It now has nearly 1.4 billion views, the most of any video on youtube, and is currently averaging more than 5 million views per day. Certain parodies and covers of the song have even generated north of 100 million views.

Gangnam Style is a Korean neologism parodying the lifestyle associated with Seoul’s wealthiest district, Gangnam. In the song PSY sings about ladies who are dignified and sophisticated by day, party animals when the sun goes down, while proclaiming to be the right sort of chap for these dames. The chorus begins with the word “Oppa”, meaning older brother, so “Oppa Gangnam Style” I guess is meant to be addressed to the aforementioned ladies and convey that their fella has Gangnam Style, which is fantastic news. (The full English translation can be found at the bottom of the post.) Also, he dances as though riding an invisible horse, which is of course symbolic of riding an actual horse.

For some time, although I was aware of this viral sensation and thought it funny and catchy, I failed to see how it maintained such strong staying power. In my mind, the exponential rise in views couldn’t possibly correlate to new viewers, which would mean that current viewers were watching the video like all the fucking time. This, again, didn’t make sense to me, and in retrospect I feel silly that it didn’t. I know the song is catchy but I couldn’t wrap my head around why so many people would play it over and over again – a pop tune with lyrics they couldn’t understand or really sing along to. It didn’t hit me until I stepped off the plane in Bangkok.

Asians.

There are billions of Asians and this is their first pop artist to truly infiltrate the West. “Miles, you’re an idiot” is probably what you’re thinking, and unfortunately I have no rebuttle.

In the midst of my travels through SE Asia, no song has been heard as much as Gangnam Style, not even close. At clubs, restaurants, travel agencies, from children’s cell phones (especially from children’s cell phones), and even in the lobbies of fancy hotels, this song blasts through the airwaves throughout the day. I’m talking dawn till dusk, and a lot after dusk as well.

When I meet locals and they introduce me to their kids who speak no English, their way of bridging the gap oftentimes is to mention the one thing we both know. At the rare club where both locals and expats go to dance, Gangnam Style is the song that sparks the most intercultural grooving. Though I am definitely sick of hearing it, I can say that in my lifetime I have not been witness to a cultural phenomenon uniting East and West to this extent. For reals.

PSY’s ascendance to international fame has instilled in many people from this part of the world an overwhelming sense of pride, and for good reason. The popularity of Gangnam Style has influenced politicians and political activism at the highest level. For example, PSY performed Gangnam Style at the inauguration of South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Major organizations, grassroots movements, and governments around the world have used PSY’s worldwide hit to promote freedom of expression as well as various environmental causes.

Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron have attempted PSY’s signature dance moves. Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary-General, hailed Gangnam Style as a “force for world peace.” Yeah that’s right, world fucking peace.  Not bad for a music video with a dude going number 2.

 

 

Gangnam Style lyrics – English Translation

Oppa is Gangnam style
Gangnam style

A girl who is warm and humanly during the day
A classy girl who know how to enjoy the freedom of a cup of coffee
A girl whose heart gets hotter when night comes
A girl with that kind of twist

I’m a guy
A guy who is as warm as you during the day
A guy who one-shots his coffee before it even cools down
A guy whose heart bursts when night comes
That kind of guy

Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Now let’s go until the end

Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh

A girl who looks quiet but plays when she plays
A girl who puts her hair down when the right time comes
A girl who covers herself but is more sexy than a girl who bares it all
A sensable girl like that

I’m a guy
A guy who seems calm but plays when he plays
A guy who goes completely crazy when the right time comes
A guy who has bulging ideas rather than muscles
That kind of guy

Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Now let’s go until the end

Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh

On top of the running man is the flying man, baby baby
I’m a man who knows a thing or two
On top of the running man is the flying man, baby baby
I’m a man who knows a thing or two

You know what I’m saying
Oppa is Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh