PSY’s global hit Gangnam Style has become the first K-pop music video to pass six billion views on YouTube.
The playful visual reached the landmark almost exactly 14 years after it was uploaded, making it the first video from the genre to achieve the impressive total.
PSY is often credited with helping modern K-pop break into the international mainstream, paving the way for artists including BTS, Blackpink, Stray Kids, Seventeen, Twice and many others.
Directed by Cho Soo-Hyun, the video follows the South Korean performer creating mayhem while delivering his famous Gangnam Style dance routine. The song climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2012, while its visual became the first YouTube upload to collect one billion views. It was an early addition to the Billion Views Club, which later welcomed videos such as Justin Bieber’s Baby, Taylor Swift’s Blank Space and Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You.
More K-pop stars have joined the exclusive group in recent years, including BTS with Dynamite and Butter, as well as Blackpink with Pink Venom and How You Like That.
PSY continues to hold an influential position within South Korea’s entertainment business. He operates his own label, P Nation, and stages the energetic Summer Swag concert series every year.
