Psy’s ‘Gentleman’ sweeps Korean music charts

Psy’s new single “Gentleman” swept the local music charts immediately after it was released in 119 countries at midnight on Thursday.

The electro-dance song with more English-language lyrics and a catchy dance tune topped Korean music charts on Friday including Naver Music, Mnet, Soribada, Melon and Bugs.

The song, a mocking portrait of a self-proclaimed “gentleman” trying to seduce women at a party, has more English-language lyrics than “Gangnam Style,” with repeated phrases including “I’m a mother father gentleman” and “Gonna make you sweat, Gonna make you wet, You know who I am ― Wet Psy!”

The electro-dance song offers a simple, catchy melody, similar to what many enjoyed from his international hit “Gangnam Style.” Following the famous horse-riding dance, Psy is said to have created the dance for the new song inspired by Korean traditional dance movements.

The “Gangnam Style” follow-up single was released in 119 nations at midnight in their respective local times. New Zealand was the first country to listen to the song due to the time difference, three hours before the song was released in Korea.

The highly anticipated music video, scheduled to be released later this month, will feature Ga-in from girl group Brown Eyed Girls and the local comedians of the MBC hit reality program “Infinite Challenge.”

Psy will perform “Gentleman” live for the world to see at his upcoming solo concert “Happening” on Saturday at Seoul’s World Cup Stadium. Big Bang leader G-Dragon and singer Lee Hi will perform as guest acts during the concert, which will be broadcast live on YouTube and Naver.

Some 50,000 fans are expected to show up at the all-white dress-code show. The concert reportedly cost $2.7 million to produce.

The concert is taking place at a politically sensitive time, with military tension rising between two Koreas after South Korea’s foreign minister on Thursday warned that North Korea is expected to conduct a missile launch at any moment.

After the Seoul concert, Psy is scheduled to go on a world tour in Europe, North America, and Asia through June.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)