Author: Zhu Yuan Park
Associated Press
PSY ‘Gangnam Style’ at Seoil Academy, Seoul, 2012, at the height of ‘Gangnam Style’ fame. The picture comes from Korea Net.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean superstar PSY says his new album marks “farewell to ‘Gangnam Style'” — the hit that propelled him to superstardom exactly a decade ago.
In fact, in Suga’s music video for BTS’ lead single “That That”, PSY is wearing the famous blue suit he wore in the “Gangnam Style” video.
“So, a guy in a blue tuxedo came out, got a slap in the face by Yoshihide Suga, and moved on,” PSY told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the album’s release, alluding to his old self moving away past. His latest album, “PSY 9th,” was released on May 6 with 12 tracks, including one performed by Korean-Canadian rapper Tablo.
PSY, whose real name is Prime Minister Park, swept the world with “Gangnam Style” in 2012. The song became a global hit with its addictive horse dance and catchy melodies and currently has over 4.4 billion views on YouTube.
In an interview, PSY talked about the long-term gap in records, whether he’s still under pressure from the global success of “Gangnam Style,” and what he envisions for himself and the K-pop industry.
Notes edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: “PSY 9th” took five years. What took so long?
PSY: One person cannot satisfy everyone. People’s tastes are subjective. But if I let someone listen to my music, even if that person isn’t from the industry, if that person says, “It’s not that good,” I’ll make a change. When the music is ready, I play it to 40 to 50 people. I didn’t search for this song until they collectively said “it’s the best it can get”. So… I also made a lot of changes. Our artist and I found it difficult, and I wanted to change the habit, but it was difficult to correct. When I make music, I listen to it on my phone speakers, I listen to it on the big speakers, trying to find the mistakes as best I can…I kill a lot of songs, and I’ve been doing it for a long time in the process.
AP: Who are those 40-50 people?
PSY: Every artist in my company and some of our label employees. Young and old, including my parents…the most casual person is my best friend – someone my age who lives a day-to-day life and has been following me since my first album song.
AP: Gangnam Style has been around for 10 years. Do you remember “Gangnam Style”? Are you stressed?
PSY: The hidden theme of this MV is “Farewell to Gangnam Style”. So, a guy in a blue tuxedo came out, was slapped by Naoto Kan, and continued on his way. There’s a theme hidden in my song with Suga, they give old PSY in new clothes. It’s not a serious video, but there is such a scene. But the success of “Gangnam Style” is such a big deal, both personally and professionally, that it’s impossible to never know about it. But at the same time, it’s been a long time, and now I feel free and easy. So I didn’t realize it and saw it as the biggest trophy on my shelf, nothing more. Right now, I’m just obsessed with making new music with new friends.
AP: So how long did it take you to get over the “Gangnam Style”?
PSY: For the seventh album, I couldn’t get over it at all. When I released my eighth album five years ago, I was basically over. Now, I’m completely over.
AP: What is your favorite song in your music career?
PSY: There is a song on my fifth album called “It’s Art”. No matter what I write, it’s hard to beat that song.
AP: Why?
PSY: Although I’ve been making music for a long time, there are some songs of my own that I’m proud of. It’s this song. It’s emotional, has a good beat and message, and the audience loves the song. I never promoted the song, but it went viral and became the song I sang after the concerts “Champion” and “Gangnam Style”.
AP: If the biggest change in the K-pop music industry is in the near future, what would it be?
PSY: K-pop will continue to escalate in terms of the size of the budget and investment and the level of trainees…I think the next change will be Metaverse…Metaverse will be by getting rid of the boundaries of the stage and the audience.
AP: Are you preparing any NFT or Metaverse related projects?
PSY: This is the first time I’ve revealed this. I’m working on a character who can sing and dance. Thank goodness people have gotten used to my illustration because I’ve been using it as my album cover since my debut…but PSY as a singer should stay active offline for a long time. I’m not known for muscular builds or well-trained dance moves. The audience was excited about the vibe and vibe I had on stage, so a concert without an audience was not an option for me. But I’m working closely with the artists on my label to prepare for the metaverse world.
