Korean superstar Psy gave a speech at Harvard University on Thursday, cracking jokes and buying bibimbap for the students of the elite U.S. university.
The lecture, streamed live on the school’s online channel, was the singer’s second at an internationally renowned school following last year’s speech at the University of Oxford.
Psy, who spoke without a script, making him the first person since Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1838 to give an “unorthodox lecture” at the school, started by describing his presence at the Ivy League university as “so weird” at the 800-seat Memorial Church.
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Psy poses in his signature “horse riding” dance at the Memorial Church of Harvard University on Thursday, Massachusetts time. (Yonhap News) |
Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, recalled spending four years in Boston, first at Boston University and then Berklee College of music. He said, “After 14 years, who knew I (would come) back to make a speech at Harvard? Isn’t life beautiful?” and shared the challenges of making it in the music industry as an Asian artist.
In response to criticisms of “Gentleman,” his follow-up to “Gangnam Style,” the singer said nothing could beat the latter, which he described as an “accident.”
“They chose me not because I’m handsome, not because I’m muscular; they chose me because I have fun with the music.”
Psy also mentioned that his new song had dropped to 33rd on the Billboard Hot 100 as of Monday, down seven notches from the previous week. “It is (still) amazing,” he said, adding, “I was surprised that I was disappointed after the news.”
After the lecture, Psy provided bibimbap to all 800 members of the audience. “It’s on me!” he grinned.
By Suh Hye-rim (
sheren6735@heraldcorp.com)
