Born in 1977, the singer PSY "uncle" has a very infectious "horse riding dance", which has become a dance that adults and children compete to imitate.
From the release of 15 in July to 10/0 on October 4, in less than three months, the hit rate of "Gangnam Style" on YouTube exceeded 300 million, so PSY became the first Korean singer with a single track hit rate of100000 on YouTube, and it has been recorded in Guinness World Records. Gangnam Style also ranked first in singles in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and other countries, setting a historical record for Korean singers.
"Gangnam Style" is a song created by Korean singer PSY, and the song simply repeats the sentence "My brother is a Jiangnan fan". This makes many people think that Gangnam Style is a satire on the gap between the rich and the poor in Korean society.
Ms. Jin Zhengxian, who works in the relatively "backward" Jiangbei area, said that in fact, many Koreans really want to be a member of the Jiangnan area, and the screams in the lyrics of "Jiangnan Style" skillfully captured people's complex psychology of "Jiangnan area".
Living in Jiangnan?
Gangnam-gu, the capital of South Korea, is a gathering place for the rich in the eyes of all Koreans. In Jiangnan district, there are pagodas, first-class high-grade houses, and the rich are the most concentrated. In this community in the most expensive center of Seoul, there are top stars in politics, business and entertainment. A driver once joked with reporters that throwing a bomb at the Tower Palace could wipe out more than half of the rich people in South Korea.
In Jiangnan area, there are the best schools and extracurricular classes. Children can get the best education here. Therefore, Koreans who regard their children's education as their life, in order to give their children the best educational environment, there are even many cases where they sell their real estate and prefer to rent a house in Jiangnan.
In Jiangnan, there are many cosmetic hospitals, high-end bars and luxury fashion shops. The living standard in this area is very high. People not only dress in fashion, but also have plastic surgery.
"Jiangnan" is therefore regarded as synonymous with "fashion" and "wealth" in South Korea. Living in "Jiangnan" has even become the dream and pursuit of most Koreans.
Many people think that the singer PSY is the representative of "Jiangnan Faner". Originally named Jae-Sang Park, PSY was born in a wealthy family, and his father was the boss of a software company. He grew up in Jiangnan District. With a well-off family, he had the opportunity to study in the United States since he was a child and graduated from the Music Department of Berkeley University. According to local media reports in South Korea, "Jiangnan Faner" PSY lived a luxurious life, which made him naturally restless and negative news continued. He once introduced "vulgar and explicit" music and was forbidden to sell it to minors. He also used the money given to him by his family to study business and music at the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he was regarded as the representative of the prodigal son.
At present, South Korea has entered the era of per capita national income of $20,000, but the gap between the rich and the poor and the regional gap is also growing.
There are also many Koreans who believe that rich people living in Jiangnan are self-centered and have no sense of social responsibility at all. Therefore, in the current global economic downturn, the prosperity of Jiangnan is only superficial. Most of the so-called "rich people" are negative assets, and there are a large number of "money slaves" in Jiangnan, who spend more than 50% of their income.
The MV "Jiangnan Style" reflects the cynicism and extravagance of the rich people who are having fun in Jiangnan, just as the lyrics say: I am a Jiangnan fan, a person who looks steady but knows how to play, a person with a more developed mind than muscles ... a little girl, a sexy girl, a hot girl, who looks quiet but knows how to play. ...
Buying an apartment building in Jiangnan area (including several well-known areas such as Jiangnan area) requires at least 800 million won (calculated by 100 square meter, about 4.4 million RMB), and the most expensive house should reach more than 2 billion won; However, in an ordinary place in the Jiangbei area of Seoul, 400 million won can buy a good apartment building; If you go to a small local city, such as Asan City near Seoul, you can buy a three-bedroom apartment with 654.38 billion won. The huge gap in housing prices also allows Jiangnan people to retain the color of "rich people".
Even in the south of the Yangtze River, there is a great polarization between the rich and the poor-there are the richest people in Korea and the best schools, but among the gorgeous high-rise buildings, there are also a few low-rise houses in the old city-which is also regarded as "the slums in the south of the Yangtze River".
It is these social problems that are deepening, and the voice of Korean nationals calling for strengthening welfare and narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor is getting louder and louder. The election canvassing of the next South Korean president is also around these social focus issues. Among the three most competitive presidential candidates, park geun-hye from the Grand National Party is the daughter of former South Korean President park chung-hee. Park geun-hye, who grew up in the presidential palace, gives people a noble and elegant feeling, but at the same time makes voters lack intimacy; Moon Jae in of the Democratic Integration Party, the largest opposition party in South Korea, and Cheol-Su An, a professor at the Independent University, are both very close to the people. Especially Cheol-Su An, who has no ruling experience, is very popular with young people because of his image of knowing the masses and their needs. Therefore, the contradiction between the rich and the poor revealed by Korean society also makes the result of this presidential election confusing.
Subvert traditional aesthetics
Faced with the popularity of "Jiangnan Style", even PSY seems to feel "caught off guard".
Many Koreans believe that the popularity of Gangnam Style in Korea is more due to the relaxed and funny style of this song. A "fat man" danced funny dances and sang repeated lyrics, which made it extremely popular and even amateur, and made those who yearned for "Jiangnan Style" feel closer to reality.
There is a popular saying in South Korea that "everything can be forgiven as long as it is beautiful". PSY completely broke all the traditional aesthetic principles of Koreans in the MV of Gangnam Style. His funny horse-riding dance, exaggerated expression and cynical attitude insinuated and mocked the luxurious lifestyle representing the richest and most fashionable area in Seoul.
"Gangnam Style" subverts the routine of "handsome guys and beautiful women" that Korea admired before, which is refreshing. The more "amateur", "clumsy" and ridiculous, the easier it is to be accepted by this "tired world".
"Gangnam Style" can spread from South Korea to the whole world, thanks to Twitter and YouTube. Celebrity effect is also the reason why this song is so popular. Lu Hongzhe, Liu Zaishi and other famous Korean artists appeared in the MV of this song. These people danced with PSY in a funny way, which attracted the attention of Koreans. In the United States, Britney Spears praised Gangnam Style on Twitter, and PSY and Britney Spears appeared on the American program "Ellen Show Stage" and showed "Ma bu" together.
"Gangnam Style" has penetrated into different fields in Korea, and major companies have even appeared advertisements imitating various versions of "Gangnam Style". It is reported that Samsung Electronics is also preparing to launch an advertisement called "Samsung Style".
Seoul Mayor Park Won soon, who is deeply loved by the Korean people, also expressed his concern and condolences to PSY. On the evening of October 4th, 65438/KLOC-0, PSY held a free solo concert in Seoul Square, which attracted nearly 80,000 fans. This scene can be compared with the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. Regarding PSY's free concert, Park Won soon said that Seoul City Hall will do its best to support public transportation and venue construction.
At present, PSY has been invited by more than 10 advertisements, and has also taken over advertisements such as communication and clothing shot by handsome stars, and has successfully become a superstar overnight.
South Korean media reported that the total global revenue of Gangnam Style in terms of copyright and advertising could reach 300 billion won, but at the press conference at the end of September, PSY said the rumor was untrue. "I haven't arrived at the final settlement period. At least, I don't have a penny yet. " However, PSY also admitted that the income of this song far exceeded expectations. When a reporter at the scene joked that "this song made PSY have a good life", PSY smiled and said "I hope so".
The forecast released by the South Korean National Assembly at the "Music Market Leadership Conference" on the 4th shows that the final settlement of YG Entertainment Company to which PSY belongs has not yet been completed, but it is estimated that the total income of PSY in South Korea is less than 500 million won.