Psy

South Korean rapper PSY took his unconventional looks, controversial lyrics, and comical dance moves all the way to mainstream international fame by releasing the smash hit "Gangnam Style" (2012). Early in his career, PSY was evidently bent on defying the rules. He certainly did not look like the typical male Korean pop star, yet his music set him apart from his peers. With his debut album PSY from the PSYcho World! (2001), PSY established the tone for his musical legacy, writing songs that were considered too obscene by the South Korean government. Yet, he continued to make music that incited controversy and topped domestic music charts, including the album PSY Five (2010), whose lead single "Right Now" was even banned for release due to its graphic content. In 2012, PSY went from Korean singer to household name after releasing the music video of his hit single, "Gangnam Style," which, at one point, was the most watched video on YouTube with millions of hits. The song's over-the-top, high-energy production showcased a hilarious horse-riding dance move that not only invented a worldwide dance craze, but it also marked PSY's newfound status as an internationally renowned artist.

Born Park Jae Sang in 1977, PSY grew up in the affluent Gangnam District in Seoul, South Korea. His father, Park Won-Ho, was the executive chairman of DI Corporation, which manufactured semiconductors. When he was young, he reportedly disliked going to school and often disrupted his classes by making jokes. PSY's interest in music began when he was about 15, shortly after watching a televised performance of the British rock band Queen singing their 1975 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" at Wembley Stadium. Music became PSY's passion, but he put it aside to take over his father's business. In 1996, he moved to Massachusetts to study business administration at Boston University. But he soon lost interest in that field of study and reportedly spent his tuition money on musical instruments, before transferring to the Berklee College of Music to study contemporary writing and music synthesis. PSY did not, however, complete his studies there and soon dropped out to return to Korea and pursue a music career.

Nicknamed "The Bizarre Singer," PSY stirred up the Korean pop scene with his blunt lyrics, unconventional pop star looks, and crazy dance moves. Yet, while many of his songs, including "Right Now" (2010), were banned for their obscene lyrics, PSY topped the Korean music charts several times throughout his career. In July 2012, he released the album PSY 6 (Six Rules) Part 1, featuring the infectious lead single "Gangnam Style," a song that poked fun at those who pretended to live a trendy and wealthy lifestyle that was associated with the district in which he grew up in. The song's outrageous music video inspired a worldwide dance craze and propelled PSY to international stardom, thanks to its campy choreography that simulated riding a horse, cameos of famous Korean comedians, and an appearance of the pop group 4Minute. The video became a huge hit in Korea before reaching viral success, racking up over 900 million hits on YouTube at one point and inspiring parody clips from all over the world.

In the United States, PSY appeared on countless hit programs, including "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (NBC, 2003- ), where he taught pop princess Britney Spears how to dance "Gangnam Style," and made a cameo appearance on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ). In the midst of all his success, PSY received widespread backlash for lyrics from a song years before he became an international celebrity, which contained Anti-American sentiments. In 2002, while performing in a concert to protest the large U.S. military presence in South Korea, he had lifted a large model of a U.S. tank and smashed it on stage. His actions, he later explained, was to protest the death of two 14-year-old girls walking along the side of a road outside of Seoul who were hit by one of the many U.S. military vehicles stationed there. Then, in 2004, he reportedly performed a song that called for the death of American troops serving in Iraq shortly after news of the slaying of a South Korean hostage by Iraqi insurgents, which sparked anti-American sentiment in South Korea. After these past performances resurfaced in America at the peak of his fame, PSY publicly apologized, explaining that his actions and words were an emotional response to the events surrounding the war in Iraq at that time.

By Candy Cuenco