PSY Has Changed His Style & Strategy, Will He Top Billboard This Time?

[스포츠경향 강수진 기자] World-famous singer PSY (37, PARK JAE SANG) attacks the music world once again. His new journey officially launches on the 9 (local time). This is his third journey after “GANGNAM STYLE” and “GENTLEMAN”.

PSY departed to the United States on the 31 last month and he has been staying in LA to prepare for local promotions for his new song. He will appear in major TV shows in the country 10 days later, to promote his new song “HANGOVER”.

A big change is suggested for PSY’s new challenge, in terms of his style and strategy, which greatly differ from those of “GENTLEMAN”. Unlike “GENTLEMAN” that was released eight months after the hit of “GANGNAM STYLE”, PSY has spent almost double time this time, for preparations for the new song. Anybody can notice that PSY has put a lot of efforts in the new song. So, what has he been preparing? Will he finally top the Billboard chart this time, overcoming his past failure to take the No.1 of the world’s most famous music chart?

Raising the Chance of Hit! Album will be Released after Disclosure of the Song

“GENTLEMAN”, a song that PSY disclosed in April 2013 was not an album, but a digital single. He put American-style play of words on the front and notably, he put a lot of focus on the music video. In fact, his strategy at that time was so-called “one-shot one-kill”, which means the whole focus is concentrated on one song, centering around its music video.

However, PSY’s new attack on the music world will not have only one song. Rather, he will promote the whole “album”. PSY is known to have created four to five songs so far, for the new album.

PSY will first arouse interest in his single “HANGOVER”, by disclosing the song in the American single market on the 9 this month. Then, he will release a mini album that contains 4-5 songs including “HANGOVER” in July this year.

The way of disclosing a single first and then releasing an album after a certain period of time is a normal promotion method used by top singers in and out of the country. A surprise disclosure of a single creates sensation and interest first, and the momentum is continued to promote the other songs in the album.

This kind of method has a variety of effects. First, even though it takes more production cost and efforts, it greatly increases the chance of hit. When the interest drawn by the disclosure of a song is successfully spread to the title track of the album, the effect of promotion for the album is multiplied. If the first-disclosed song fails, the singer can recreate the success strategy once again and put more focus on the title track. Since the method centers around the “music” itself rather than around visual elements such as choreography or music video, the album will have a bigger influence.

“HANGOVER”? What is the title track?

The title of the song that PSY will disclose first is “HANGOVER”. The song will be released on iTunes of different countries at 0 o’clock on June 9 in American Eastern time.

From 7pm on the 8, a few hours before the disclosure of the song, PSY will kick-start his media appearance. He will appear in American TV network ABC’s midnight talk show “Jimmy Kimel Live: Game Night” with rapper SnoopDogg, to sing a part of “HANGOVER” and to talk about his experience of shooting the music video.

“HANGOVER” refers to “hangover”, a state of being totally drunken. World-class rapper SnoopDogg came to Korea early this year, to shoot the music video of the song. In the video, SnoopDogg is enjoying Korean culture in a public bath, billiard club, etc.

On the 31 last month, PSY aroused interest in “HANGOVER”, by announcing his comeback schedule to a reporter from American entertainment news TMZ.com, who covered PSY’s entry into the United States. PSY was actively engaged in the interview, saying, “I disclose “HANGOVER” with rapper SnoopDogg on June 9”. PSY also referred to “HANGOVER”’s difference from “GANGNAM STYLE” and “GENTLEMAN”. He said, “My past songs were rather solo medium songs, but the new song is totally hip-hop”. The reporter asked PSY “do you do rap?” and he answered, “I do”. “But SnoopDogg helped me”, added he.

The official title track of the new album after “HANGOVER” will be announced in July, with the release of the album. It is now clear what the title track will be yet. It is known that PSY is now pondering upon what song he will chose as the title”. He has a wide choice, because there are quite some good songs, according to insiders.

Collaboration, Different Mindset

Collaboration with a world-star is one of the biggest differentiations for PSY’s new album. There have been many cases in the American-British pop world that collaboration between stars have created a big sensation. That is why expectations for PSY’s new album are all the more rising.

Along with SnoopDogg who leads America’s hip-hop world, PSY also collaborated with Steven Tyler, the lead vocal of band Aerosmith, for one of the songs of the new album. Aerosmith is a very famous rock band, who has sold about 150 million copies of record so far. Plus, guitarist Brian May, who was the guitarist for legendary rock band “Queen” that is famous for hits like “We Will Rock You” and “Bohemian Rhapsody”, has recently said in an interview with British MTV, “I will collaborate with PSY”, heightening music fans’ curiosity.

In an interview with Sports Kyunghyang, YANG HYUN SUK said, “we are working with people who we have never imagined to work with. World-famous stars whom we could never imagine form our past perspective are featuring for YG artists”.

It seems that PSY’s attitude has changed, too. At the year-end concert held in December last year, PSY said, “’GENTLEMAN’ was not that PSY. Unlike ‘GANGNAM STYLE’ which targeted no one, ‘GENTLEMAN’ actually had a target, so I had to pay extra care to every single word in the song, as if I was doing language study”. ‘Then, he once again emphasized the importance of his first resolution, saying, “I have changed my attitude. I just decided to think that I make PSY-styled songs and if one of them make a hit once again, that will be good. I decided to go just my way, then I could breathe again. I also decided to put more PSY style in the new song”.

2014. 6. 2.