Gangnam Style

Here's the place for discussing music, plays, YouTube videos, and any other media that doesn't quite fit in the other sections of Harlequin Theatre.
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UNCLEBITTLES
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Gangnam Style

Post by UNCLEBITTLES »

Discuss the very popular song by PSY; Gangnam Style.

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Post by DanP740 »

Kind of surprised this hadn't been posted yet... Minecraft Style is better, but Sony & Universal are being jerks about non-applicable copyrights.
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Post by bookworm »

I haven’t watched it yet. A classmate showed me part of it one day because he was shocked I hadn’t, but I didn’t pay much attention or see the whole thing. I didn’t get what I did see.
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Post by ~JCGJ~ »

I'm just trying to figure out why Gangnam Style is so much more popular than the thousands of the other equally (if not more) catchy K-Pop songs...

Take Electric Shock, by Girl's Generation for example...





I just think it's interesting...
Last edited by ~JCGJ~ on Wed Jan 16, 2013 3:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by The Top Crusader »

Because its a pudgy guy in a suit dancing. That makes it hysterically awesome.

But seriously I don't REALLY get the big deal, other than people like "so bad, its good" things, like that Friday song and such.
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Post by DanP740 »

It's one of those "what..in the world...am I watching? Hey, come see this thing!" things.
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Post by fodo14 »

How can you not like it! Just look at him =D> =D> . Best Music Video ....ever......the end.
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Post by bookworm »

Alright, I finally watched this to find out what the deal is. I’m still as confused as before I saw it.
Why is this such a crazy hit? Someone please explain it. There has to be a reason, but I have no clue what it is. The song isn’t catchy at all, and the video makes no sense. It seems to me people just got mesmerized by that dance move and liking everything else came with the territory.

Like Top said, with a video like Friday it’s easy to understand why it was huge. You either liked it or hated it, but either way you had a stance. The division spurred its popularity, and the more you watch it it actually grows on you. And the song, as ridiculous as it is, is way too catchy to just shrug off.
But with this, I have no opinion whatsoever. Absolutely none. I definitely don’t think it was good, but I don’t even think it was bad; I think nothing.
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Post by gunblader3 »

This is simply my observation, but I'm still going to point it out as though it is a fact.

This vid became a hit the same way goyte's "Somebody that I used to Know" and Jepson's "Call me maybe" became viral hits: Celebrity tweets. Gangnam style became a much bigger hit because it was one of the few "non-american" to be fully recognized. Other non-english songs also get recognized, simply Gangnam style was one of the luckier ones to be appreciative. On the internet, America is the number one source for biggest "upcoming news". Other countries start paying attention that Psy's "Gangnam Style" is becoming a hit in America that soon everyone around the world knows about it. That plus adding with the Youtube "covers" and "parodies" made this vid a smashing and international hit.

Now for the music video. It simply just one of those "feel good" vids. Added to it that he some how turned from a stupid looking, cheesy dance move to something "classy". Plus Psy knows that he isn't all that "good looking" nor does he take himself to seriously when adding humor to his music video. Just like how Micheal Jackson, MC Hammer, and James Brown were some of the most influential artist who got people up and dancing, Psy was able to do the same with this generation.

Plus Gangnam style is the first youtube vid to ever hit 1 billion views! What a feat!
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Post by ~JCGJ~ »

If you look at a translation of the lyrics, you soon realize that Gangnam is basically where anyone who's anyone lives, in S. Korea (kind of like all Movie Stars in USA live in Hollywood).

"Gangnam Style," means partying constantly, and just having a general good time without thinking about anything but enjoying yourself.

Keeping that in mind, the video begins to make much more sense.
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Post by Termite »

He's making fun of the wannabe Gangnam people... the ones who actually live there aren't snooty and stuck up, though people act like that to "be" Gangnam style, apparently.
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Post by bookworm »

@gunblader:
I think you’re confusing attention for popularity.
Call Me Maybe was originally put in the public’s attention through celebrity endorsement, but it stayed because it is one of the catchiest songs ever recorded.
Friday was put in the public’s attention because it was so polarizing people couldn’t help sharing it, but it stayed because the song is extremely catchy and the video is extremely bad.
Gangnam Style was put in the public’s attention through all the hype around it, but that doesn’t explain why it stayed so popular.
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Post by gunblader3 »

bookworm wrote:@gunblader:
I think you’re confusing attention for popularity.
Call Me Maybe was originally put in the public’s attention through celebrity endorsement, but it stayed because it is one of the catchiest songs ever recorded.
Friday was put in the public’s attention because it was so polarizing people couldn’t help sharing it, but it stayed because the song is extremely catchy and the video is extremely bad.
Gangnam Style was put in the public’s attention through all the hype around it, but that doesn’t explain why it stayed so popular.
Actually I kinda already explained that already. Gangnam style was an international success and being one of the first non-english music to be that. Sure there are other non-english music such as some songs from the K-pop genre like Generation girls and Hyuna that were also much famous before Gangnam style was made, but simply Psy just stroke it off really lucky to be in the constant attention spotlight. Not to mention the fact that the music video is so quirky and funny that it gets turned to internet memes so easy (with the help with the same online community's that created Friday memes like 4chan, reddit, tumblr, etc.) Added that every parody made with this song gets like +1million views on youtube helped it keep it fresh. Plus while the song may not be easy on both of our ears, there are many people (especially non-korean speakers) that catch the song to be quite catchy. Every single time I go to a club with a couple of my friends, everybody literally went over crazy when Gangnam style gets played.

Of course by 2013 now, the hyped certainly quieted down. I highly doubt Psy would be able to make another song as successful as Gangnam Stlye, he'll just be remembered as a one hit wonder (in my prediction).
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Post by DanP740 »

One hit Youtube wonder, you mean. He's been a hit in Korea for years.
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Post by godisawesomeness99 »

I think gangnam style is 1 part weird, 1 part entertaining, and 1 part annoying. That's all I have to say on the matter.
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Post by ~JCGJ~ »

bookworm wrote:@gunblader:
I think you’re confusing attention for popularity.
Call Me Maybe was originally put in the public’s attention through celebrity endorsement, but it stayed because it is one of the catchiest songs ever recorded.
Friday was put in the public’s attention because it was so polarizing people couldn’t help sharing it, but it stayed because the song is extremely catchy and the video is extremely bad.
Gangnam Style was put in the public’s attention through all the hype around it, but that doesn’t explain why it stayed so popular.

I think it stayed popular because it was likely the first K-pop that most Americans had experienced...
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Post by Movieman »

~JCGJ~ wrote:I'm just trying to figure out why Gangnam Style is so much more popular than the thousands of the other equally (if not more) catchy K-Pop songs...

Take Electric Shock, by Girl's Generation for example...

I just think it's interesting...
I live in South Korea... "Electric Shock" is actually by the group "f(x)". One of my favorite k-pop songs is "Monster" by Big Bang. Ironically, the leader of that group is named... TOP! :o



-- Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:00 pm --
~JCGJ~ wrote:If you look at a translation of the lyrics, you soon realize that Gangnam is basically where anyone who's anyone lives, in S. Korea (kind of like all Movie Stars in USA live in Hollywood).

"Gangnam Style," means partying constantly, and just having a general good time without thinking about anything but enjoying yourself.

Keeping that in mind, the video begins to make much more sense.
"Gangnam" is a district of South Korea's capital city, Seoul. I have been there personally, and it's probably similar to NYC's upper east side in that it is very expensive to live there and only for the richest of the rich.
In the video, Psy is mocking the rich lifestyle of these people, not of all South Koreans.

-- Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:02 pm --
DanP740 wrote:One hit Youtube wonder, you mean. He's been a hit in Korea for years.
Not at all. I've been living in South Korea since 2009 and I love k-pop. I literally had never heard of him until "Gangnam Style" came out. From what I gather from my Korean friends, he's not even considered that popular or well-known here.

-- Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:06 pm --
~JCGJ~ wrote:I think it stayed popular because it was likely the first K-pop that most Americans had experienced...
Girls Generation showed up on David Letterman 6 months before "Gangnam Style" came out. Several other k-pop songs have been brought to the USA (with varying degrees of success).
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Post by ~JCGJ~ »

Last edited by ~JCGJ~ on Wed Jan 30, 2013 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by bookworm »

Super Bowl commercial:

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