Accessibility links

Breaking News

'Gangnam Style' Makes YouTube History


South Korean pop artist Psy performs 'Gangnam Style' at the 40th American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, November 18, 2012.
South Korean pop artist Psy performs 'Gangnam Style' at the 40th American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, November 18, 2012.
South Korean pop artist Psy and his "Gangnam Style" video marked a historic milestone Friday, becoming the first YouTube video to receive one billion views. The video was posted on the site in July.

Psy raps in Korean in the video while dancing as if riding an invisible horse.



Psy, who is 34, is the first Korean pop artist to receive mainstream success in the United States.

He won the best video award at the MTV Europe Music Awards in November.

Rolling Stone magazine put "Gangnam Style" at number 25 on its top 50 list of best songs for 2012 and labeled Psy as "Seoul Brother Number One."

His rising star hit a speed bump in the United States last month when anti-American views he voiced a decade ago caught up with him. He apologized and went on to perform at a "Christmas in Washington" gala attended by President Barack Obama and his family.
  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG