PSY’s “HANGOVER” hits 30m views: “THX to all ya” including “thumbs down”
[스타뉴스 길혜성 기자] The music video of “HANGOVER” by world star PSY (real name Park Jae Sang, aged 37) hit 30 million views in just 50 hours, and the artist expressed his gratitude to all the viewers, including those who clicked the “thumb down” button.
On 10:50 am on June 11, immediately after his video hit 30 million views, PSY tweeted a captured image of the number and added, “Good thing and Bad thing make Everything!! THX to all ya!!”
In the image were viewers’ evaluation based on “thumb up” and “thumb down” icons. 348,103 thumbs up and 114,655 thumbs down.
PSY’s gratitude comes from the thought that whether the evaluation is good or bad, people showed attention to the video.
The video was unveiled on his official YouTube channel on June 9 at 8:15 am (Korean time). Currently at 10:25 am on June 11, the viewer number hit 30.127 million views, reaching 30 million in just 50 hours of its release.
In the Korean traditional music and hiphop-influenced video, PSY appears with the world-renown hiphop legend Snoop Dogg and portrays the Korean culture of drinking, convenience store, playing pool, and going to the amusement park in a comical way. Drinking mixed alcohol, going to karaoke, holding the glass with two hands when receiving a drink from an older person, having a drinking competition and a love shot are all described in the most PSY-like manner.
Foreign media are finding the video “hilarious,” while two types of reviews run on the opposite spectrums in South Korea.
Personnel closely related to the production of “HANGOVER” M/V commented on June 9, “PSY is a South Korean singer and because the local fans liked “Gangnam Style,” he was able to rise to global stardom. As a person knows this very well, why would he belittle the Korean culture?”
They added, “Drinking culture can be reflected differently to every individual in Korea, but as PSY himself truly enjoys it and deems it appealing, he was confident enough to show it to the world through “HANGOVER.” When introducing South Korea to the world, it does not always have to be formal. PSY and all related staffers came to the conclusion that showing the Korean in an unfiltered and honest way is more charming.”
They continued, “Scenes like getting into a fight after drinking could surely cause a problem, but it is just a light-hearted parody scene. If we were not confident enough to show our actual culture, why would we invite the hiphop legend Snoop Dogg all the way to South Korea and film scenes involving soju, pubs, pouring drinks using two hands for older person, and playing pool?”
“When we describe South Korean drinking culture, does it always have to involve drinking wine at an expensive restaurant?”
Lastly the personnel added, “What “HANGOVER” portrays is the real PSY, going back to his true colors, showing that he enjoys these cultures. And he was also confident enough to introduce these fun culture of South Korea to the world.”
2014. 6. 11.
