Psy heads off on U.S. promotional tour

‘Gentleman’ singer to give 500 million won to young cancer patients

Published : Apr 25, 2013 - 20:30 Updated : Apr 25, 2013 - 20:31

Rapper Psy left for the U.S. on a three-month promotional tour of “Gentleman” on Thursday morning.

Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport, Psy said, “While my iTunes rankings currently are going down, the YouTube hits continue to climb.

“I hope to see my iTunes ranking go up during this promotional tour, which includes TV appearances and press interviews.”

Psy speaks during a press conference at Incheon International Airport on Thursday. (Yonhap News)

On Thursday, “Gentleman” hit fifth place on Billboard’s main chart, climbing up from the No. 12 spot last week.

Meanwhile, his local agency YG Entertainment on Wednesday said that Psy is donating 500 million won to support pediatric cancer patients in Korea.

“Psy has been thinking of ways to show his appreciation for his local fans,” said the agency. “He is very grateful, especially with the international success of last year’s ‘Gangnam Style’ and the latest hit ‘Gentleman.’ He feels he owes much to his local fans.”

On Friday, Psy is to receive a special award at the Tribeca Film Festival for his “Gangnam Style” music video. On May 3, the singer is scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Today Show.”

“Gentleman” has been viewed more than 220.9 million times on YouTube as of Thursday.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)