Psy says BTS have achieved ‘Gangnam Style’’s “unfulfilled dreams”

nme.com:

Psy has credited BTS with having achieved the “unfulfilled dreams” of his 2012 hit single ‘Gangnam Style’.The K-pop icon became the highest-charting Korean pop act on the Billboard Hot 100 with the track peaking at Number Two.

Since then, only BTS have gone on to best his record, hitting Number One six times since 2020.Speaking at a press conference for his new album ‘PSY 9th’ – which includes the single ‘That That’, featuring and produced by BTS’ Suga – Psy reflected on the success of ‘Gangnam Style’ almost a decade ago. “It was so exhausting at the time of its success [because] the song got popular so it wasn’t a ‘healthy hit’,” he said, per fan translations.“There were even people who thought my name was ‘Gangnam Style’,” he explained of the track’s meme status in the West. “Some people overseas who would say ‘Hi, Gangnam Style’.”Discussing the success that other Korean artists have experienced in the 10 years since ‘Gangnam Style’ was released, Psy said acts like BTS and BLACKPINK have achieved the “opposite” of his viral fame because they have gained “permanence and persistence”.“There are cases where the song increases in popularity and cases when the [artist] increases in popularity, and longevity is that much longer in the latter,” he said.He also noted that even BTS and BLACKPINK still face barriers in the West, particularly in terms of radio play. “The wall of American radio is very high because the songs are in a foreign language,” he explained. “Our biggest weapon is YouTube.”Singling out BTS, the star described the band as having “achieved unfulfilled dreams” – such as scoring a Number One hit in the US.