Psy Hits Top Spot on iTunes Music Video Chart

Gangnam Style: A once-fringe Korean rapper has become the hottest global pop star of the month.

Rapper Psy became the first Korean entertainer to take the top spot on the US iTunes music video chart Tuesday with his sensationally goofy hit “Gangnam Style”.

Psy’s video, which became a YouTube sensation soon after it was published in mid July, climbed past Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Carly Rae Jepsen to the top of the iTunes video chart. It had been in second place on Saturday. The iTunes chart is compiled daily based on the number of downloads.

As of Tuesday Psy’s original “Gangnam Style” video had logged 43 million hits on YouTube. A revised version released last week featuring 4Minute’s Hyuna titled “Oppa Is Just My Style” has already logged 13 million.

The video’s appeal is difficult to explain except to those who have seen it. It combines an infectious beat with scenes that satirize the life supposedly led by wealthy and pretentious residents of Seoul’s trendy Gangnam district south of the Han River. The video’s central motif is Psy’s rollicking dance which approximates a madman riding a galloping horse.

Psy came to Los Angeles last weekend to meet with Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun who had tweeted earlier, “How did I not sign this guy!?!??!… Gangnam Style!!!! #TheGreatest”.

Braun took Psy to a Dodgers game Monday afternoon. During a break “Gangnam Style” began filling the stadium’s PA system and the video screen filled with the image of Psy in the stands. Psy jumped to his feet and began his by-now world-famous horse-riding dance, setting off the crowd of 50,000 into a roar of appreciation. The moment had been organized by the Dodgers after they learned that Psy would be dropping by with Braun, according to Psy’s agency.

Psy’s viral video has won lavish praise from a number of top entertainers. Last weekend at her Manila concert Nelly Furtado broke out in her version of “Gangnam Style”.

Psy is a 34-year-old rapper named Park Jae-sang who hadn’t released anything in two years. His first album, titled “PSY… From the Psycho World”, had been released in January 2001. The authorities declared it to have “inappropriate content”, and slapped Park with a fine. His second album “Ssa 2”, released in 2002, hardly saw daylight, as it was immediately banned.

Park’s penchant for amusing satire won him a niche following. His concerts often featured parodies of top female singers like Park Ji Yoon and Lee Hyori.

Park speaks unusually good English, having attended Boston University and Berklee College of Music.