PSY

Having spent more than ten years working in the Korean music industry, South Korean singer and rapper PSY rose to worldwide prominence in the early 2010s through the lively and comedic clip for his viral single "Gangnam Style." The track triggered global flash mobs, drew praise from heads of state, and spawned numerous spoofs while ascending to the summit of international charts and social-media rankings. Along the way the song helped push K-pop nearer to mainstream Western acceptance, earning multi-platinum certification across Australia, Europe, and North America. Standing apart from his polished and elaborately styled peers, PSY leveraged his distinctive profile within Asian pop and stayed a consistent presence on Korean charts throughout the 2010s, placing three successive albums—Chiljip Psy-da (2015), 4X2=8 (2017), and Psy 9th (2022)—inside the Top Ten of the U.S. World chart.

Born Park Jae-Sang, he earned degrees from Boston University and Berklee College of Music before launching his recording career in 2001 with the release PSY from the PSYcho World! The album’s blunt lyrics resonated with Korean teenagers yet alarmed civic organizations, resulting in fines for PSY and an adults-only sales restriction. He turned the ensuing controversy to his advantage by issuing two follow-up albums, Sa 2 and 3 PSY, the next year; both projects received songwriting honors at the 2004 SBS and Seoul Music Awards. His third album, Sa Jib (Sa House), appeared in 2006 and brought additional trophies from the SBS Music Awards and M.net KM Music Festival. Beyond studio and stage work, PSY became a regular presence on Korean variety programs such as X-Man and Golden Fishery, delivering his flamboyant style and eccentric appeal to broad audiences. The 2010 album PSY Five coincided with his signing to YG Entertainment, one of Korea’s major agencies and labels, and with wins at the Melon, Seoul, and M.net Asian Music Awards. He opened 2011 by collecting Best Album honors at the 20th High1 Seoul Music Festival and, by the following spring, had joined the judging panel of the televised Korean talent contest Superstar K.

International recognition arrived in summer 2012 with the album Psy 6, Pt. 1, driven by the single "Gangnam Style," which PSY immortalized through a video featuring playful choreography that mimicked horseback riding. The clip amassed more than 2.4 billion views on YouTube and prompted parody videos worldwide, preparing Western listeners for the surge of K-pop superstars later in the decade. A second single, "Gentleman," followed with its own video and dance routine. Although it never matched the cultural reach of "Gangnam Style," PSY spent the next year capitalizing on that momentum through live shows and a collaboration with Snoop Dogg on "Hangover." In December 2015 he unveiled two characteristically wry videos from his seventh album, the aptly named PSY 7th Album ("Chiljip Psy-da"): "Daddy" and "Napal Baji." The project featured guest spots from CL of 2NE1, R&B singer Zion.T, XIA of JYJ, rocker Jun In Kwon, and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. PSY returned in spring 2017 with his eighth album, 4X2=8, which included the singles "I LUV IT" and "New Face" plus appearances by Big Bang’s G-Dragon and Taeyang and by IKON’s B.I. and Bobby Kim on "Bomb." The following year he ended his association with YG; in 2019 he established his own imprint, P Nation, and signed artists including Dawn, Hyuna, and Heize.

After a lengthy hiatus, the entertainer resurfaced with his ninth album, the synth- and rap-driven PSY 9th (2022), whose lead single "That That" was produced by and featured SUGA of BTS. Although the set reached only the Top 40 in Korea, it marked his strongest U.S. performance to date, climbing to number three on the Billboard World albums chart.