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The very nature of ‘Gangnam Style’ itself – lyrics almost entirely in Korean, the video deliberately designed to tickle the internet’s meme-making abilities – likely made it easier for western listeners to write it off as a one-hit-wonder. In 2013, a year into the song’s grip on the world, the online viewership for K-pop artists had doubled in the US since ‘Gangnam Style’ cantered onto the landscape, as data from Google showed. The smash hit single served as an introduction to K-pop for many, curious listeners delving deeper into the Korean music scene and finding new artists they enjoyed. Artists had made a bid to change that – like when Wonder Girls toured North America in 2010 or when Girls’ Generation released an English-language version of their 2011 song ‘The Boys’ – but, at that point, there had only been small sparks of interest.Īs ‘Gangnam Style’ steadily gained pace, racking up views on YouTube, topping charts around the world (except in the US, where it was kept off the top by Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Call Me Maybe’), those flames of fascination started to grow. But it was still under the radar in the west. All these elements and more made PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’, released a decade ago today (July 15), a cultural phenomenon that would shake up not just K-pop but the world.Īt the time of its release back in 2012, K-pop had already proved its international potential, winning over fans in areas across Asia and the Middle East. The now global catchphrase “ Oppa Gangnam Style“.

A horse-riding dance move tailor-made for memes.

A chaotic music video sending up boastful materialism.