People are just discovering the real meaning behind Gangnam Style thirteen years after it was released
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/officialpsy
When it comes to viral hits of yesteryear 'Gangnam Style' is certainly up there, but what was the song even about?
I can confidently say I don’t speak Korean, couldn’t utter a word if my life depended on it, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t caught myself singing along to one of 2012’s biggest viral songs.
The South Korean hit was sung by music artist Psy and took the world by storm in 2012. It managed to reach the top spot on South Korea's Gaon Chart and number two on the US' Billboard Hot 100, and online it became YouTube’s most viewed video, which it held for a whopping five years.
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At the time, the song was basically everywhere and walking down the street you would see people imitating the K-pop artist with his rather out there dance moves.
Now, almost 13 years on, people on social media have started to realize what Psy was singing and prancing about.
One curious person on Reddit wrote: "What is the story behind PSY's Gangnam Style and where can I find good information on it?"
Well, luckily for this person, the man himself broke down the meaning behind the song, revealing that it is about the Gangnam District in Seoul.
Speaking to NPR in 2012, he said: "Gangnam is a territory in Seoul, Korea. I describe it as noble at the daytime and going crazy at the night time. I compare ladies to the territory.
"So - noble at the daytime, going crazy at nighttime—and the lyric says I am the right guy for the lady who is like that."
When you take a look at the lyrics, it's easy to see what he means.
The English translation of some of the lines reads: "A girl who is warm and humanly during the day/ A classy girl who know how to enjoy the freedom of a cup of coffee/ A girl whose heart gets hotter when night comes/ A girl with that kind of twist
"I’m a guy/ A guy who is as warm as you during the day/ A guy who one-shots his coffee before it even cools down/ A guy whose heart bursts when night comes/ That kind of guy
"Beautiful, loveable/ Yes you, hey, yes you, hey/ Beautiful, loveable/ Yes you, hey, yes you, hey/Now let’s go until the end."
There have been other theories that have bubbled up claiming the song is actually a social commentary about class differences, with one person writing: "Gangnam Style is a satire about the wealthy/faux-wealthy people walking around Gangnam. I think it blew up partly because of how relatable it was as a social commentary, not just in Seoul but also in many cities where there is a huge class divide."
Meanwhile, others pointed to various South Korean celebrities being featured in the video, it being shared by people like Justin Bieber, or that it 'fell in line with what was already popular at the time' in terms of internet culture.