Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style Korean rapper PSY's 2012 single, whose horse-riding dance and absurd satire of Seoul's affluent Gangnam district became the first video to hit a billion YouTube views.
Origin
Released in July 2012, "Gangnam Style" paired a relentlessly catchy hook with a comedic video mocking the flashy lifestyle associated with Seoul's upscale Gangnam neighborhood. PSY, already a veteran performer in Korea, built the whole thing around an invisible horse-riding dance.
Spread
Western celebrities and media amplified it within weeks, and parody versions poured in from every corner of the internet. Flash mobs recreated the choreography worldwide and the song topped charts in dozens of countries despite its Korean lyrics.
Legacy
In December 2012 it became the first YouTube video to pass one billion views, briefly breaking the site's view counter. It is widely credited as the moment K-pop went fully global and remains a shorthand for viral music phenomena.
The Chain Trail
No tracked memecoin is currently mapped to this meme.
Key facts
- July 15, 2012: PSY releases "Gangnam Style" and its music video.
- September 2012: The song reaches number two on the US Billboard Hot 100.
- December 21, 2012: It becomes the first YouTube video to surpass one billion views.
- 2014: Its view count reportedly exceeds the 32-bit integer limit, prompting YouTube to upgrade its counter.
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