Many people, if not, all people know the popular hit, “Gangnam Style” by Korean (and now worldwide) pop sensation, PSY. The song is catchy; the video is colorful; the style is bright, fun, and eccentric! What’s not to like?
This song is mostly in Korean. Granted – many people understand and speak the language, but MANY people don’t. So, how did “Gangnam Style” become so popular and viral?
The video is hilarious. That’s for sure. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH1XGdu-hzQ
Is the video enough to make a SONG viral? Maybe, but my thoughts are that PSY’s song cleverly includes Korean AND English… Kor-English, if you will. Because people around the world could sing along to the words they actually did know, they felt the rhythm and sang along to the rest. Then, I’m sure curious people, like myself, looked up the English translation to the Korean words in the song. After that, knowing the words along with doing a signature dance to a dance-y, catchy, and fun tune, made the song that much more lovable and popular.
In my opinion, if you want to have a top hit on the music charts, write a song containing all of the elements that PSY’s song does. If you speak a different language, mix it in with some English. Bada-bing-bada-boom! You’ve got yourself a worldwide hit!
What other songs can you think of that have these basic similarities and were extremely popular? Share what you know!
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