Seoul, Dec 21 (EFE).- ‘Gangnam style,’ the popular song of the South Korean rapper Psy, marked Wednesday 10 years since becoming the first video on YouTube to exceed one billion views.

The song, which had taken just five months to mark this feat, was initially aimed exclusively at South Korean viewers, but ended up becoming viral across the world, marking one of the milestones of the “Hallyu,” or the so-called wave of South Korean popular culture.

After overtaking Justin Bieber’s “Baby” as the most watched video in the history of the Internet around the end of November 2012, Psy’s hit number took just 24 days to add some 200 million views – at almost 75 views per second worldwide – to cross one billion views in total.

The video was posted on YouTube on Jul.15, 2012, and has more than 4.6 billion views so far

The song exudes humor, making fun of those who seek to imitate the lifestyle linked to the exclusive Gangnam district in Seoul, which, combined with its unique choreography were key to unleashing the worldwide frenzy witnessed a decade ago.

The 2012 success of Gangnam style, which also featured the singer Hyuna, opened the door for many K-Pop groups to use the video streaming platform to promote themselves worldwide.

Blackpink, the girl band founded in 2016, is now the perfect example of this trend, as it has garnered more than 83 million subscribers – the highest for a musical group – on YouTube.

Meanwhile, Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang and is about to turn 45, released his new studio album, “Psy 9th,” this year.
The album includes collaborations with leading stars of South Korean pop, such as Suga from BTS, Sung Si-kyung, Heize, Crush, Tablo and Hwasa from the girl band Mamamoo. EFE
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