Well, at least Seoul, south of the river...
In a day and age where nearly all the world is on some for of social-media and more global citizens have a smartphone than a personal laptop, we're always prone in trying to identify the next “viral” thing that will “break the internet.”
But these mini-outbreaks are momentary and fleeting. Whenever Bieber comes out with a song, sure, it'll hit the top charts for a few weeks, get remixed a bunch, be repeated at clubs and cafes, and if they're lucky, be eternalized in a few movies or bamitzvah playlists. There's always the next big fish that'll chomp on the current one and take over.
Source: KJ Rocker
There is one exception I've seen and I'm oddly proud to say it emerged from Korea soil. One viral outbreak has affected a global culture so much and has been concretized in so many ways. It has defied any definition of pop-culture and is the progenitor of one of our current global phenomena.
Gangnam Style by PSY
You've probably seen the vivid music video of a middle-aged overweight asian man trotting around downtown Seoul trying to seduce young women. It's PSY, the somewhat mainstream rapper parody that made the pop-culture universe explode back in 2011. His catchy song “Gangnam Style” paired with the ridiculous wrist-over-wrist dance was and still is one of the most viewed and listened to songs of all time. After its launch, the internet was flooded by flash mobs and copycats from all over the world, even translated into narrated local versions in dozens of languages. Despite K-Pop being already international with groups like Big Band and Girl's Generation, absolutely nothing came close to the worldwide embrace of Gangnam Style.
Just hit 3 billion views. Source: Youtube
PSY even went on the Ellen show! His capacity to speak fluent english definitely made him more of an international symbol over the typical k-pop songs with random english words sprinkled in. PSY became a figurehead of Korean culture and a creative ambassador for the tiny country.
Your handy guide. Source: US Slave
His impact on Korean culture will linger for at least another generation or two. This is because not only was this song an absolute world-hit but the popularity also led to it being assimilated as part of Korea's recent history. Statues of PSY and his hands have been erected in the Gangnam area of Seoul and the animated dance is incorporated into commercials, signs, billboards, and many more public forms as the song has become synonymous with global success.
Outside the COEX shopping center
Gangnam Station. Source: Wienerin
PSY's pop impact is now physical, assimilated into local imagery and set the bar for what international fame feels like. It's amongst the number one topics talked about when conversations of Korea come up and it situates the country on a global map. It'll be interesting to see how this impact bakes itself into more and more of Korean life in the years to come.
Let me know what you think below. Have you ever danced to Gangnam style??
