South Korean singer Psy’s every move is headline news after his new single, “Gangnam Style,” went viral in July.
The tongue-in-cheek, laugh-out-loud music video of the hit song and its infectious “horseback riding” choreography have spawned a global buzz that refuses to die down.
Paparazzi followed the 34-year-old star to Incheon International Airport on Wednesday to catch him before he boarded a plane for the U.S., where he is scheduled to meet pop star Justin Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun.
No doubt, the press is breathlessly awaiting news of the much-talked-about meeting between Braun and Psy.
 |
Singer Psy performs at his concert last Saturday. (Yonhap News) |
In addition to representing American artists like Justin Bieber and Asher Roth, Braun heads his own label, School Boy Records, and runs a joint label-and-media company with pop star Usher.
On July 31, Braun tweeted about Psy’s “Gangnam Style” and posted a YouTube link to the music video.
“HOW DID I NOT SIGN THIS GUY!?!??!” Braun wrote.
Braun’s highly publicized comment came shortly after Psy released his sixth album featuring the single “Gangnam Style.”
As of Thursday, “Gangnam Style” has racked up over 32 million hits on YouTube, another milestone for the popular music video, which has been featured by CNN, the Los Angeles Times and most recently by Time Magazine online. “Gangnam Style” has also been tweeted about by American artists Josh Groban and T-Pain.
Psy’s concert last Saturday reeled in a crowd of more than 30,000 and thousands flocked to his guerilla performance at Seoul’s Gangnam Subway Station intersection on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a second version of the music video dropped, with K-pop idol Hyun-a taking the reins. The new version has tallied up over four million hits so far.
Without question, Psy’s popularity is at an all-time high.
Over a decade has passed since the Berklee College of Music alumnus first debuted. Now, a husband and father of two, Psy is looking to enjoy some downtime with his family during his trip to the U.S., his agency representative said.
By Jean Oh (
oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)
