‘Gangnam Style’ pokes fun at status symbols
The world has gone crazy over K-Pop sensation PSY's "Gangnam Style."
With over 225 million views and counting on YouTube, along with several high profile appearances in "Ellen," "Good Morning America," "Today" and "Saturday Night Live," PSY has made the catchy song and accompanying cheesy choreography this year's "Macarena."
But is "Gangnam Style" really just all fun and games?
Versatile artist
PSY, also known by his birth name Park Jae Sang, is a 34-year old singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, comedian, and record producer. Few know that PSY was quite a controversial artist. When he debuted in 2001 with his album "PSY from the Psycho World!" his sharp and blunt lyrics were not welcomed with open arms. In fact, his second album "Ssa 2" was controversial and was banned from being sold to younger audiences.
Yet PSY gained the respect of his peers. His unique style, often satirical, was appreciated by sophisticated listeners. In 2010, PSY joined YG Entertainment, the powerhouse behind stars like Big Bang and 2NE1. To show how prized PSY is as an artist, even Super Junior's Kim Heechul currently signed with SM Entertainment, expressed regret in losing PSY to YG.
Today, PSY has become the first real crossover musical artist hit from Korea to make a real dent in the U.S., a place many K-Pop artists have tried but failed failed to conquer before. PSY rules Billboard's Social 50 and vaults from number 64 to 11 this week on the Billboard Hot 100. "Gangnam Style" is also number 4 in Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart.
Given the success and the innumerable spoofs the song has inspired, is "Gangnam Style" simply about "dressing classy and dancing cheesy," as PSY himself told host Ellen de Generes?
Hoping to live like the rich
A story on the website of the American publication, The Atlantic, says there's a "subversive message" behind the song, which is actually a sarcastic take on those who live in the affluent South Korean district of Gangnam. Therefore, "Gangnam style" refers to those who aspire to live the ostentatious lifestyle of Gangnam residents but who don't have the means to do so.
In his video, PSY used contrasting images to depict the divide between desire and reality. Remember PSY lounging on a beach chair which turns out to be in a dusty playground? And what about PSY strutting with a bunch of sexy ladies while trash and other debris fly around and stick to their faces? Then, there's that close-up shot of PSY looking super cool, until the camera pans out to show him sitting in a toilet bowl, his pants around his ankles.
PSY also pokes fun at the new status symbols when he mentions coffee. In Korea, as in many parts of the world, branded coffee is often expensive. When PSY says he is a guy who "one-shots his coffee before it cools down," it means he has to drink every last drop of the brew because it costs too much.
The article also points out that the most telling part of the song is when PSY sings "Sexy lady, Oppa is Gangnam Style". "Oppa" means "older brother" in Korean, but it is also a term that refers to one's boyfriend or someone a woman relies on. When PSY raps "Oppa is Gangnam Style" while acting cheesy, it means he has a "Gangnam Style" façade which may not be what he really is.
Yes, "Gangnam Style" is hilarious, but if you look deeper, what PSY is saying is not funny at all.
"Gangnam Style" by PSY
Catherine Deen blogs for Yahoo! Philippines OMG! She lives, eats and breathes Korean music, cuisine, telenovelas, and pop culture. Follow her on Twitter @cathsdeen.
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