Gentleman (Psy song)
Psy's follow-up to "Gangnam Style" with a controversial title change.
"Gentleman" is a K-pop song by South Korean singer Psy, released on April 12, 2013, as his 19th single. It was the follow-up to his international hit "Gangnam Style", which had surpassed 1.5 billion YouTube views by that time. The song set records for most YouTube views in its first 24 hours and fastest to reach 100 million views, and it peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Psy
- Released
- 12 April 2013
- Genre
- K-pop, hip house
- Label
- YG
- School Boy
- Republic
- Writer
- Park Jae-sang; Yoo Gun-hyung
- Producer
- Yoo Gun-hyung
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Digital download
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gentleman | Psy, Yoo Gun-hyung | 3:14 |
12" Vinyl
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gentleman (Extended Version) | Psy, Yoo Gun-hyung | 4:45 |
Track listing from the source article.
History
In early 2013, South Korean outlets said Psy's next single would include the slang term "Assarabia," which locals use to mean "Oh Yeah!" or to show excitement. This sparked complaints that people from Arabic backgrounds might take the word the wrong way and feel insulted. After a Voice of America reporter asked about possible offense, Psy admitted a misunderstanding and promised a big rework. He changed the song's title and lyrics on March 19, 2013, specifically to avoid offending Arabs. For the dance's debut on April 13, he asked fans to wear white. About 50,000 people showed up at Seoul World Cup Stadium, and the 6:30 p.m. Seoul time (2:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern) show streamed live on YouTube. Psy felt extra pressure to please his larger audience, stating, "Of course I feel more burden than before, because lots of people are watching." The new dance features quick, hip-swaying moves. A teaser on his Twitter had a heavy beat and a line that sounded like "I'm a mother, father, gentleman" or "motherfer," depending on how you heard his accent. A poster also showed the lyric "I'm a mother fxxxxx gentleman." Psy said he picked that phrase because it was simple to say, and he used "alangamola" ("I don't know if you know") because it was easy to sing along. The track has more English than "Gangnam Style." He originally wanted to work with Justin Bieber, but he and manager Scooter Braun put that aside so the single could prove he wasn't a one-hit wonder. Psy called the song a mash-up of his previous ten tracks and ten hooks.
Reception
Initial reactions were mixed; critics acknowledged the catchiness of "Gentleman" but remained skeptical about whether it would surpass "Gangnam Style". CNN's Jake Tapper asserted that Psy's concern about being a one-hit wonder was "completely founded". Simon Vozick-Levinson of Rolling Stone pointed out that "It's almost impossible to create another hit like 'Gangnam Style'." Psy responded that he had been doing this for 12 years and would continue what he had been doing. In a positive review, Nick Hasted of independent.co.uk wrote that "Gentleman" doesn't leave him as a one-hit novelty outside his homeland and follows its predecessor's structure precisely. Upon release, the song went straight to number one on the Gaon Singles Chart in the third week of April 2013 with 429,255 digital downloads, and remained atop in its second week selling 443,517 copies. It debuted at number one on Billboard's Korea K-Pop Hot 100 for the week of April 27, 2013. In the UK, it entered at number 61 and leapt to number ten, becoming Psy's second top ten hit there. In Australia, it debuted at number 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and in New Zealand at number 10.
Music video
The music video was directed by Cho Soo-hyun, who also directed "Gangnam Style", and co-edited by Yang Hyun-suk. It was filmed on April 8 and 9 in various parts of Seoul and Goyang, South Korea. Locations include the 10 Corso Como store in Cheongdam-dong, the Grand InterContinental Hotel in Gangnam District, an elementary school in Seongdong District, the Seoul Metropolitan Library, Mapo Bridge, an indoor pool at Goyang Gymnasium, an Ilsan indoor golf driving range, and Hallyu World. Members of the South Korean TV show Infinite Challenge appear, with Yoo Jae-suk and Noh Hong-chul returning from the "Gangnam Style" video. The yellow bikini girl is Sora Choi, winner of the third cycle of Korea's Next Top Model; four other girls are acting majors from Dongduk Women's University. The video has a "sexual twist" and features Psy performing a fast, hip-swinging dance, wearing harem pants and colorful jackets. The dance was revealed to be the "arrogant dance" from the song "Abracadabra" by Brown Eyed Girls; Psy paid a royalty to use the routine. Another move called the "crab dance" was created by choreographer Lee Joo-sun.
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