This music video came out in mid-July and since then has gone viral and gained a whopping 194,665,000 views. It features a husky Korean rap star with sunglasses parading around an Asian city, riding an invisible horse. The video in question is, of course, “Gangnam Style” by Psy.
“Before I saw it, I thought it was just another plain, stupid, funny video. After I watched it, I thought it was really cool, real funny, and personally I thought it was a pretty cool dance, too,” sophomore Noah Rubinetti said.
For those who have not seen it, just the name “Gangnam Style” may sound a bit bizarre, especially if pronounced improperly. For those who have seen it, it still comes off as being a bit bizarre, but often in a good way. The catchiness of its tune, the randomness of its locations, and the energy of its choreography make the video an all-around entertaining diversion.
“My first reaction was laughing. I also thought it was kind of weird, and I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not. After watching it, I wanted to watch it again,” senior Lincoln McCoy said.
A lot of people find it funny, weird, interesting, etc. but have no idea what it means or what the real subject matter is. Granted it is in Korean, making no sense to us.
“The first time I watched it, I was wondering what language it was in,” junior Daylan Clawson said.
Though there are segments of it that are in English, such as its title, it still begs the question: What is Gangnam? And what is its style?
Gangnam is a wealthy district in South Korea, and has a reputation a lot like that of Beverly Hills. In the video, Psy sings that he has a “Gangnam style”, but the irony is that his character is over-the-top ridiculous, making fun of the self-importance of high society life in Gangnam. It is a theme which goes a lot deeper than just funny dancing, though that is the part we all enjoy.
“I just thought it was fun, and it made me want to get up and start dancing,” sophomore Sabrina Zavala said.
No matter which way it is viewed, “Gangnam Style” has many reasons behind its immense popularity in the United States. It is a sensation among sensations, one that everyone can have fun dancing and laughing to as it continues to top the charts.