- It’s the 12th anniversary of Gangnam Style
- The dance craze that briefly united the world
- What did Korean rapper Psy do next?
It’s 12 years to the day (almost) that Gangnam Style made its debut on YouTube heralding an unprecedented era of world peace, harmony and laughter through a synchronized horse-riding dance.
Embracing Psy’s Korean rap
Everyone was at it and for a brief, glorious moment nations across the globe set aside their differences, put down their guns, stopped hurling insults at one another and embraced Korean singer Psy’s brand of absurdist Korean rap.
For one magical instant, Gangnam Style had presidents and politicians, celebrities and senior citizens the world over dancing in meme-tastic harmony. Indeed, the dance was the catalyst that spawned a million memes, introducing the world to global meme culture overnight as the young internet was flooded with flash mobs, remixes and parodies.
Gangnam Style
In this moment of global unity, Gangnam Style became the first music video to hit a billion views on YouTube. The future was so bright everyone was wearing shades.
But sadly Psy’s viral dance craze faded and fizzled, and presidents, politicians, celebrities and seniors no longer smiled and horsed around and laughed at one another.
End of world peace
As the dance craze ended, so did everyone’s dreams of achieving world peace through Gangnam Style. It was a brief moment of harmony leaving behind only memes and memories.
Even Psy himself failed to recapture the moment and has since become a mild-mannered, humble, 45-year-old music executive in Seoul. A likeable but forgettable fellow known more for his double-breasted suits and heavily coiffured hair rather than his crazy dance moves.
Oh, what could have been…
