Psy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Psy
싸이
Psy in December 2012
Born	Park Jae-sang (1977-12-31) December 31, 1977 (age 47) Seoul, South Korea
Occupation	Singer rapper songwriter record producer
Years active	1999–present
Organization	P Nation
Spouse(s)	Yoo Hye-yeon ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	2
Awards	Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit (2012)
Musical career
Genres	K-pop K-hip hop
Labels	Bidman LNLT Pan Yamazone YG P Nation Avex Trax Republic Schoolboy
Korean name
Hangul	박재상
Hanja	朴載相
Revised Romanization	Bak Jaesang
McCune–Reischauer	Pak Chaesang
Stage name
Hangul	싸이
Revised Romanization	Ssai
McCune–Reischauer	Ssai

Park Jae-sang (born December 31, 1977), known as Psy, is a famous South Korean rapper and singer. He is well-known for his funny music videos and exciting live shows. Around the world, he is most famous for his huge hit song "Gangnam Style".

Psy has won many awards for his music. These include an American Music Award and ten MAMA Awards. He started his music career in 1999. In 2010, he joined YG Entertainment, a big music company. There, he released "Gangnam Style" in 2012.

The "Gangnam Style" song and its music video became a huge hit worldwide. It was the first video on YouTube to reach 1 billion views! For almost five years, it was the most-watched video on YouTube. Later, his song "Gentleman" also broke a record. It was the most-viewed YouTube video in its first 24 hours. In 2018, Psy started his own music company called P Nation. He released his album Psy 9th in 2022, with the popular song "That That".

Early Life and School Days

Park Jae-sang was born on December 31, 1977, in Seoul, South Korea. His family lived in the rich Gangnam District. His father, Park Won-Ho, was a leader at a company that makes equipment for computer chips. His mother, Kim Young-hee, owned several restaurants.

Psy went to Banpo Elementary and Middle Schools and Sehwa High School. He didn't really like school. He was known as the "class clown" because he always made jokes. One of his old teachers said that Psy was so funny, he would make the whole class laugh.

When Psy was 15, he watched a TV show about foreign pop music. He saw a concert by the British rock band Queen at Wembley Stadium. They performed their song "Bohemian Rhapsody". Psy said this concert made him fall in love with music.

Psy's Music Journey

Starting Out in Music (1996–2000)

Psy with the Gangnam Style logo

Psy first planned to study business in the United States. This was to prepare him to take over his father's company. But when he got to the U.S. in 1996, he became more interested in music. He spent his school money on musical instruments and equipment.

He later went to Berklee College of Music. But he soon left and went back to South Korea. He wanted to become a singer. In 1999, he was featured in a song by South Korean rapper zoPD. In 2000, Psy appeared on Korean TV for the first time. A TV producer noticed his dancing.

First Albums and Early Success (2001–2002)

In January 2001, Psy released his first album, Psy from the Psycho World!. Some people thought parts of his album were too bold. Psy was a new hip-hop singer who surprised the Korean music scene. He had very direct lyrics, unique dance moves, and a different look. This earned him the nickname "The Bizarre Singer".

His second album, Sa 2, also caused some discussion in 2002. Some groups worried about its effect on kids. Because of this, Sa 2 was not allowed to be sold to people under 19. Later in 2002, Psy released his third album, 3 Psy. The main song, "Champion", became very popular. This was partly because of the excitement from the World Cup games in Seoul. Even with some discussions about his music, Psy won awards for his songwriting. This showed he was becoming a big name in Korean music.

Military Service and More Music (2003–2009)

In 2003, Psy had to join the South Korean military. This is a rule for all South Korean men. He was first excused because he worked at a software company. But in 2007, he was told he had to serve again. This was because he had been performing and holding concerts during his earlier work period.

So, in December 2007, Psy joined the military again. He served as a signalman in the army. He finished his service in July 2009. In 2006, during his first service period, he released his fourth album, Ssajib. It won awards at the SBS Music Awards and Hong Kong's Mnet Asian Music Awards.

Joining YG Entertainment (2010–2012)

Psy was having money problems and couldn't release his own songs. His wife told him to join YG Entertainment. The head of YG, Yang Hyun-suk, was an old friend of Psy's. In 2010, Psy joined YG Entertainment.

He released his fifth album, PsyFive, in 2010. This album also won several awards. Before "Gangnam Style", Psy had already topped music charts in South Korea many times over twelve years.

On January 7, 2012, Psy performed with K-pop groups Bigbang and 2NE1 in Japan. This was his first time performing on a foreign TV network. He introduced himself as a "little chubby newcomer" and made the crowd laugh with his funny dance moves.

"Gangnam Style" Takes Over the World (2012–2013)

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon meeting with Psy

Psy performing in Cannes, France, at the January 2013 NRJ Music Awards ceremony

In July 2012, Psy released his album Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1. The song "Gangnam Style" quickly became popular outside Asia. By August 14, it was the most-viewed video on YouTube's monthly chart. On August 21, it became No. 1 on the iTunes Music Video Charts. This was the first time a South Korean artist achieved this!

Many famous people, like Katy Perry and Britney Spears, shared their excitement about the video. Psy appeared on The Today Show and Saturday Night Live to perform the song and teach the dance.

Because of "Gangnam Style"'s success, Psy signed with Scooter Braun's Schoolboy Records. The Gangnam District made Psy an honorary ambassador. On October 24, 2012, the United Nations called Psy an "International sensation". U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with Psy. He said Psy had "unlimited global reach" and hoped they could work together. Psy was also named a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.

In November 2012, Psy gave a speech at the Oxford Union in England. Tickets were so popular they had to be given out by a lottery! He said that "Gangnam Style" was both a dream and a nightmare because it would be hard to top its success.

Psy performed "Gangnam Style" at the MTV Europe Music Awards. He won the "Best Video" award, beating artists like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Later, Madonna performed a mix of "Gangnam Style" and her song "Give It 2 Me" with Psy at Madison Square Garden. Psy said this was one of his greatest achievements.

On November 24, 2012, "Gangnam Style" became the most viewed video in YouTube history. It reached 1 billion views on December 21, 2012, making it the first video to do so. Psy met actor Jackie Chan, who called him a role model. Psy was also chosen as "Singer of the Year" in South Korea.

New Albums and P Nation (2015–Present)

On December 1, 2015, Psy released his seventh album, Chiljip PSY-da. It had two main songs, "Daddy" and "Napal Baji". The album featured other artists like CL and Will.i.am. The song "Daddy" was even included in the video game Just Dance 2017.

In May 2017, Psy released his eighth album, 4X2=8. The main songs were "I Luv it" and "New Face". This album also had collaborations with artists like G-Dragon and Taeyang. On May 15, 2018, Psy left YG Entertainment after eight years.

In 2019, Psy started his own music company called P Nation. He signed his first artist, Jessi, on January 25, 2019. He also signed Hyuna and Dawn. Later, he signed Crush and Heize. In 2021, Psy worked with Park Jin-young to create a new boy group on the TV show Loud. In 2022, Psy performed in Dubai at Expo 2020.

On April 29, 2022, Psy released his ninth album, Psy 9th. Its main song, "That That", featured Suga from BTS.

P Nation: Psy's Own Company

After leaving YG Entertainment in 2018, Psy started his own entertainment company, P Nation. He announced his first artist, rapper Jessi, in January 2019. Then, P Nation signed Hyuna and Dawn.

As of November 2022, P Nation has 10 artists, including the six-member boy band TNX. The company's office is in the Gangnam area.

Psy's Style and Influences

Psy's stage name comes from the word psycho. He explained that he is "crazy about music, dancing, performance".

Who Inspired Psy?

In an interview, Psy said that Freddie Mercury from the band Queen is his biggest musical inspiration. He said he learned about showmanship from watching Queen's videos. Psy also said he really wanted to meet American actor Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise helped make "Gangnam Style" popular on Twitter.

Psy's Achievements and Legacy

Psy has earned several Guinness World Records for his music:

• "Gangnam Style" – Most viewed video online.
• "Gangnam Style" – Most "liked" video online.
• "Gangnam Style" – First video to be viewed more than 1 billion times on YouTube.
• "Gentleman" – Most viewed video online in 24 hours.
• "Gangnam Style" – First video to be viewed more than 2 billion times on YouTube.

Psy is seen as the first K-pop artist to become very famous in the Western music industry. He believes that more K-Pop artists will become famous like him.

The South Korean government recognized Psy's cultural achievements. They gave him the Okgwan Order, a special award. On May 25, 2017, YouTube gave Psy a Diamond Play Button. This was because his YouTube channel reached over 10 million subscribers. He was the first Asian solo artist to do this.

Psy's Personal Life

On October 14, 2006, Psy married Yoo Hye-yeon. She was his girlfriend for three and a half years. They have twin daughters. Psy believes "Gangnam Style" is the greatest achievement of his life. In 2012, he bought a home in Los Angeles, California. This was after he signed with music manager Scooter Braun to help his career in the U.S.

In 2022, he moved back to South Korea to start his record label. He lives north of the river in Seoul.

Psy's Thoughts on North Korea

In the early 2010s, there were more tensions between North and South Korea. Psy was asked about his thoughts on this.

On April 13, 2013, Psy said he was sad about the conflict between his country and North Korea. He called it a "tragedy". He hoped that North Koreans would one day be able to enjoy his music. He said his job is to make everyone laugh. Before a concert in Seoul, Psy said that he and 50,000 Koreans would sing so loudly that North Koreans could hear them.

In an interview, Psy was asked about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's threats. Psy replied that as an entertainer, he didn't want to talk about politics. But as a Korean citizen, he wanted peace.

Helping Others

On August 11, 2022, Psy donated 100 million South Korean won to help people affected by floods in South Korea.

Psy's Music Albums

• Psy from the Psycho World! (2001)
• Ssa2 (2002)
• 3 Mai (2002)
• Ssajib (2006)
• PsyFive (2010)
• Chiljip Psy-da (2015)
• 4X2=8 (2017)
• Psy 9th (2022)

Film and TV Appearances

Film

Television

Music Video Appearances

Psy has also appeared in other artists' music videos:

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

• 

  Psy in December 2012

• 

  Psy with the Gangnam Style logo

• 

  U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon meeting with Psy

• 

  Psy performing in Cannes, France, at the January 2013 NRJ Music Awards ceremony

See also

In Spanish: PSY para niños

• List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists