Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Could 'Gangnam Style' Get An English Makeover? - MTV.com

America just can't seem to get enough of Korean pop star Psy. Sitting comfortably on top of the iTunes singles charts, his massive hit, "Gangnam Style" has millions of fans mimicking his gallop-like dance moves and singing along to the lyrics ... even if they are unsure of their meaning.

"Gangnam Style" is a parody of life in Gangnam, a wealthy neighborhood in the South Korean city of Seoul known for its party scene and luxurious style. It finds the star rapping about what type of girl he is looking for and what he would find in Gangnam.

But just because he has become a household name in America, don't expect Psy to change any of the lyrics to cater to his new fanbase. After all, he told MTV News, the Korean version is what everyone fell in love with.

To date, the song has garnered more than 212 million views on YouTube. "The thing is, already like 160 something million people saw the video all over the world, so in that way if I change it now and then like 160 people getting confused," Psy said. "So for this song I think verbal is not that important, nonverbal, I think just the dance moves and how it sounds and how it looks I think that was the point of the story."

However, Psy will be working on a new album soon. He was recently signed by Justin Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, to Schoolboy Records, and Psy admits that when he met Braun, he instantly knew it was a good fit.

"When I see Scooter Braun I feel like I'm watching a mirror because we have really same character mental-wise, working hard, not sleeping, working hard, partying hard, drinking hard and then working hard, loving life, loving music," Psy said. "When we talk together we are brother from a different mother. He was the very first manager that I met in the U.S., but he was the first and last because we are so similar."

After he's fully established himself in the U.S., Psy plans on returning to Korea to release his next single. And even though "Gangnam Style" won't be released in English, he says its follow-up will.

"And after I can be somebody in the U.S. and then of course I have to release now the single and that will be in English," he said. "I got all the equipment media stuff in Korea so I have to go back and I got to write another song and then I have to bring it to here."

Another thing he will be bringing back from Korea are some of his old dance moves. Before his galloping horse move that helped launch him to international stardom, there was his bird dance from his debut song, appropriately titled "Bird."

"I've done this 12 years and I've done these kinds of moves my entire career, so I actually have several more left," Psy said. "So I'm going to make some new songs with my old moves."

While he didn't give us a preview of these old moves, he did make one thing clear: "No more animals."

Do you have the "Gangnam Style" dance down? Let us know in the comments!

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