Psy Climbs Back Up to No. 1 on US iTunes Singles Chart

Hot Ride: A Korean rapper rides to the top of the social networking sphere thanks to a wildly popular video.

Korean rapper Psy has returned to the top spot on the US iTunes singles chart Wednesday following back-to-back appearances on a series of popular TV shows.

Psy’s emergence as a personality familiar to Americans audiences began with his performance of the viral sensation “Gangnam Style” on MTV’s Music Video Awards on September 6 after racking up over 100 million views on YouTube.

He has stayed on top of the Billboard Social 50 for the fourth straight week thanks to the buzz generated by being signed to Scooter Braun’s Schoolboy Records, followed by appearances on major TV shows like the Ellen Degeneres Show, Today Show and Saturday Night Live. The Social 50 ranks artists using an algorithm based on activity on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Vevo and MySpace.

“Gangnam Style” had achieved the top spot on iTunes briefly in late August on the first wave of publicity that greeted Psy’s refreshingly original video on YouTube. It had quickly slipped back down to around the mid-40s by early September. The explosion of traditional media publicity and increasing radio play since the VMAs has given the single not only a second wind but the kind of legs that should earn it a long stay on the pop music charts.

Psy — whose real name is Park Jae-sang — debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 list last week in 64th place — the highest ranking ever achieved by a Korean artist — then shot up to 11th place on Wednesday. “Gangnam Style” also soared 210% to hit no. 4 on the Hot Digital Songs chart and 43rd on the On-Demand Songs with 300,000 requests and Hot 100 Airplay with 19 million.

In his home Korean market Psy was number 4 on the Billboard Kpop chart, behind some more conventional artists like Seo In Kook, G-Dragon and T-ara.

Psy’s success around the world is unprecedented for any Asian pop artist. It is especially a sensational Cinderella story for a rapper who had been on a two-year hiatus after several years of only middling success competing against younger, prettier and skinnier Kpop artists. “Gangnam Style”, which Psy produced on his own, was his comeback bid. He posted it on YouTube in late July. Within a single month he was on his way to becoming the world’s hottest new pop superstar.