When South Korean rapper Psy came out Gangnam Style A decade ago, few foresaw the scope and speed of his success, or how he would help ignite the streaming revolution.
His music video featuring the famous horseback dance was released on July 15, 2012. It was focused on local life, with comedic references to the affluent area. gangnam from Seoul, but in a matter of weeks it went global.
By December of that year, it reached a billion views on YouTube. It spawned countless memes and parodies, and the dance was performed by groups from Azerbaijan to New Zealand.
D Gangnam Style he has shown the music industry what can be achieved online and on social media, especially with artists outside of the West who sing in English.
Psy “broke the rules of the game. Traditional marketing and promotion manuals have been thrown out the window,” said Bernie Cho, president of DFSB Kollective and an expert on the South Korean music industry.
He demonstrated “the importance, impact, influence YouTube in pop music and global pop culture.
In 2012, streaming services were in their infancy, accounting for less than 7% of the global music industry’s revenue.
But unexpected success Gangnam Styleas well as viral videos of artists such as Justin Bieber D Carly Ray Jepsenopened up a new way for artists from anywhere in the world to launch their music and earn online advertising revenue, find sponsors and get concert bookings, according to analysts.
great opportunities
A decade later, streaming has become the main source of income for the music industry, with subscription services accounting for 65% in 2021, according to industry organization IFPI. YouTube D tik tak.
Gangnam Style is “an example of the strength that the platform like YouTube to generate interest in a particular video from different locations around the world,” said Michelle Cho, an associate professor of Korean pop culture at the University of Toronto.
“The importance of the video… goes beyond its content. It’s actually more about how it allows people to imagine the capabilities of the platform,” Cho said.
A few months after its release, Gangnam Style This has already been the most viewed video on YouTubeand held this position for over three years.
With influence Gangnam Style online, along with viral phenomena such as Harlem ShakeMagazine Billboard changed in 2013 the way of compiling lists taking into account opinions YouTube and other platforms for traditional radio broadcasts and sales figures.
“The good thing I did (…) was change the rules of Billboard,” Psy said. AFP in an interview in May, highlighting the popularity of Korean artists in YouTube.
Gangnam Style also affected South Koreabecoming the main cultural export of the country and a source of national pride.
K-pop groups tried to break into the international market until 2012, with some regional success in Asia, but failed to succeed in lucrative Western markets such as China. USA.
Until Psy came along and didn’t fit the sophisticated profile of K-pop idols.
“Industry executives, government officials, commentators, critics, fans… assumed that the big Korean star would be a boy band or girl group,” said Bernie Cho of DFSB Kollective.
crazy “It showed everyone that instead of a Korean version of a Western star or an international star, the world wants something very authentic, original, unique,” said Bernie Cho.
The cavalcade dance was everywhere: on American television, in British football stadiums and among Indian Bollywood stars.
The then American President Barack Obama said her daughters taught her “a Gangnam Style quite normal”.
South Korea is currently the world’s entertainment center, but in 2012 Gangnam Style it was the world’s first encounter with Korean pop culture.
“He has had a great influence in popularizing Korea, Korean music or Korean media in many countries, especially in the United States and around the world,” said Michelle Cho.
“That knowledge, that (…) familiarity has definitely helped other content take hold,” he added. (AFP)
Source: RPP
I’m Liza Grey, an experienced news writer and author at the Buna Times. I specialize in writing about economic issues, with a focus on uncovering stories that have a positive impact on society. With over seven years of experience in the news industry, I am highly knowledgeable about current events and the ways in which they affect our daily lives.