▲ Psy performing 'Gangnam Style' in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2012. ⓒ Getty Images
[SPOTV News = Reporter Kim Hyun-rok] Singer Psy said the global success of his smash hit "Gangnam Style" has brought him both joy and immense pressure.
Psy appeared on CNN International's new documentary "K-Everything," which aired on the 9th, and discussed the phenomenon with Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim.
Psy's 2012 release "Gangnam Style" became a worldwide sensation: its music video was the first ever to surpass one billion views globally within six months. It especially resonated in the United States and helped redefine K-pop's global standing.
Psy said the success is something he will enjoy as a performer for the rest of his life, but as a songwriter it's "both a dream and a nightmare." He added that he constantly asks himself how he can possibly top it.
He recalled a moment when fellow artist Tiger JK pulled his car over to the shoulder of a highway, sobbing, and called him.
Tiger JK told Psy he was deeply moved and asked, "Don't you understand what it means to Korean Americans to hear a song sung entirely in Korean on American radio?" Daniel Dae Kim said the memory still brings him to tears.
But Psy admitted he finds the "Gangnam Style" statue in Seoul's Gangnam district personally embarrassing and more than he deserves.
After the runaway success of "Gangnam Style," Psy founded his own label, P Nation, and turned his annual Heumbbeok Show into a massive summer concert attraction — an icon of the season.
He called the Heumbbeok Show the pinnacle of his happiness. "Performing for 25,000 people and seeing 25,000 faces light up because of me — in that moment, I felt I could die with no regrets," he said.
