Psy

Park Jae-sang, professionally known as Psy, was born in the Gangnam District of Seoul, South Korea. He is known for his humorous videos and stage performances, as well as his hit single 'Gangnam Style'.

In 1996, Park Jae-sang planned to study business administration at Boston University but lost interest in his studies. He then dropped out and returned to South Korea to pursue a career as a singer.

After being an indifferent student at Boston University, PSY transferred to the Berklee College of Music in 1997.

In 1999, Psy was found by South Korean rapper zoPD and featured in the song '카사노바' from his second album In Stardom Version 2.0.

In 2000, Psy made his first appearance on Korean national television after his dancing caught the eye of a TV producer, marking the beginning of his domestic success.

In January 2001, Psy debuted his full-length album 'Psy from the Psycho World!', which stirred up the Korean pop music scene with very blunt lyrics, peculiar dance moves, and an unconventional appearance. However, he was fined by South Korean government authorities due to the album's 'inappropriate content'.

In September 2002, Psy released his third album '3 Psy'. The album's title song, 'Champion', saw great success partly due to the hype from the World Cup games held in Seoul. Despite the controversy surrounding his music, Psy was awarded songwriting accolades at the annual Seoul Music Awards, marking his breakthrough in the South Korean music industry.

In 2003, Psy completed his mandatory military service, serving as an active duty soldier for 21 months.

In 2004, after the kidnapping and beheading of South Korean translator and Christian missionary Kim Sun-il in Iraq, Psy condemned South Korea's former president and sang along to lyrics criticizing the United States military during a concert. This further triggered anti-American sentiment in South Korea.

In 2012, Psy's 'Gangnam Style,' released under YG Entertainment, went viral on YouTube, leading to widespread international recognition of K-pop. The song's success sparked interest from major U.S. publications, signaling a new era for Korean music.

North Korea posted a 'Gangnam Style' parody video on the official government website Uriminzokkiri, featuring the face of South Korean presidential candidate Park Geun-hye, to mock her and her father, South Korea's former dictator. The video was an attempt to ridicule Park's support for her father's actions and was bizarrely executed.

On December 7, 2012, Psy issued an apology directed towards members of the U.S. military and the American people for his 'inflammatory and inappropriate' language. This came after significant international media coverage and public outrage.

On December 21, 2012, Psy's music video for 'Gangnam Style' exceeded one billion views on YouTube, making it the first video to do so in the website's history. This achievement led to Psy being recognized as the King of YouTube.

On December 31, 2012, Psy performed in a globally televised New Year's Eve celebration with American rapper MC Hammer on-stage in front of a live audience of over a million people in Times Square, New York City. This performance further solidified his international recognition.

The audio of Psy's follow-up single 'Gentleman' was leaked onto the internet a day before its official international release.

Psy attended a press conference in April 2013 where he expressed regret about his country's conflict with North Korea and expressed hope that North Koreans would one day be able to enjoy his music. He also emphasized his role as an entertainer to make everyone, including North Koreans, laugh.

Psy gave a special lecture at Harvard University, where he spoke about his passion and other reasons for his popularity.

People began voting daily for one of the Top Three Chefs in Psy's 'Psy Needs a Chef' video contest. The winners were to be announced on June 14, 2013.

Psy and his troupe performed 'Gentleman' on the Finale of Britain's Got Talent, Series 7.

Psy released a new single, 'Hangover', featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg, and announced his intention to release a new song titled 'Father'.

The YouTube video for 'Gangnam Style' garnered over 2,147,483,647 views, causing the counter to overflow to a negative number, resulting in a public comment from Google/YouTube.

PSY released the music video for 'Daddy (Ft. CL)', which garnered millions of views and further solidified his position in the music industry.

PSY released the music video for 'New Face', which achieved substantial viewership and added to his list of successful songs.

PSY founded his own entertainment agency called 'P Nation' in 2018. The agency houses well known artists such as Jessi, Hyuna, Dawn, Crush, and the rookie boy group TNX.

Psy held a press conference at the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel in Seoul, South Korea to promote his new album 'Psy 9th'.