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	Rapper singer 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
RR	Bak Jaesang
MR	Pak Chaesang
IPA	pɐk̚.t͡ɕεsɐŋ
Stage name
Hangul	싸이
RR	Ssai
MR	Ssai

Park Jae-sang (Korean: 박재상; pronounced [pɐk̚.t͡ɕεsɐŋ]; born December 31, 1977), known by his stage name Psy (/ˈsaɪ/ sy; Hangul: 싸이), is a South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is famous in South Korea for his funny music videos and live shows. Around the world, he is best known for his huge hit song "Gangnam Style" (2012). Psy has won many awards, including an American Music Award, ten MAMA Awards, and a World Music Award.

Psy released his first album, Psy from the Psycho World!, in 2001. He became famous worldwide with "Gangnam Style" in 2012. The song and its music video became a huge hit online. The music video was the first on YouTube to reach 1 billion views. It was also the most-watched video on YouTube from December 2012 to July 2017. His next song, "Gentleman", came out in 2013. Its music video was the most-watched YouTube video in its first 24 hours at that time. In 2018, Psy started his own music company called P Nation.

Early Life and Music Inspiration

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

Park went to Banpo Elementary and Middle Schools and Sehwa High School. He did not like school much and was known for being the class clown.

When he was 15, Park watched a Korean TV show about foreign pop music. One episode showed a concert by the British rock band Queen at Wembley Stadium. They performed their song "Bohemian Rhapsody". Park said this concert made him love music.

Music Career Journey

Starting in Music (1996–2000)

Psy with the Gangnam Style logo

Psy first planned to study business at Boston University in 1996. This was to prepare him to take over his father's company. But when he arrived in the United States, he lost interest in business. He spent his school money on music equipment instead. This included a computer, an electric keyboard, and a MIDI interface.

After one semester, Park left Boston University. He then applied to Berklee College of Music. At Berklee, he took classes in music. But he soon left and went back to South Korea to become a singer. He did not get a degree from either university.

In 1999, Psy was featured in a song called "카사노바" by South Korean rapper zoPD. In 2000, Psy appeared on Korean national television for the first time. A TV producer noticed his dancing.

First Albums and Early Success (2001–2002)

In January 2001, Psy released his first full album, Psy from the Psycho World!. The South Korean government fined him because they found some content "inappropriate". Psy was a new hip-hop singer who surprised the Korean music scene. He used very direct lyrics, unique dance moves, and an unusual look. This earned him the nickname "The Bizarre Singer".

His second album, Sa 2, also caused discussion when it came out in 2002. Some groups complained that it could be a bad influence on children and teenagers. Because of this, Sa 2 was banned from being sold to people under 19 in 2002.

In September of the same year, Psy released his third album, 3 Psy. The main song from this album, "Champion", became very popular. This was partly because of the excitement from the World Cup games held in Seoul. Even with the discussions about his music, Psy won songwriting awards at the annual Seoul Music Awards. This marked his big step into the South Korean music industry.

Military Service and Later Albums (2003–2009)

In 2003, Psy joined the South Korean military. This is part of the mandatory military service for all South Korean men. Psy was first excused from duty because he worked at a software company. The government gives exemptions to those with special skills who work in companies important to the country. He was expected to finish his duties in 2005.

In 2006, Psy released his fourth album, Ssajib. This album won awards at the 2006 SBS Music Awards and Hong Kong's Mnet Asian Music Awards.

In 2007, government lawyers said Psy was "neglecting" his work. They said he was holding concerts and appearing on TV during his work period. On October 12, 2007, a court decided that Psy had to join the military again. Two months later, Psy was re-drafted. He served as a signalman in the 52nd Army Infantry Division. He finished his service in July 2009.

Joining YG Entertainment and New Music (2010–2012)

After facing money problems, Psy could not release his own songs. His wife told him to join the South Korean music company YG Entertainment. The founder, Yang Hyun-suk, was an old friend of Psy's. In 2010, Psy joined YG Entertainment.

Psy released his fifth album, PsyFive, in 2010. Its main song, "Right Now", was banned for people under 19 by South Korea's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. They said a lyric was "obscene". Despite the ban, Psy won awards at the 2011 Melon Music Awards and Mnet Asian Music Awards. By this time, Psy had topped music charts in South Korea many times over his twelve-year career.

On January 7, 2012, Psy performed with K-pop groups Bigbang and 2NE1 in front of 80,000 Japanese fans. This was during the YG Family Concert in Osaka. His performance was shown on Japanese TV. This was his first time on a foreign TV network. During the concert, Psy introduced himself to his Japanese fans. He sang five of his hit songs. Japanese TV commentators were surprised and happy about his funny moves, which included some like Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.

"Gangnam Style" and Global Fame (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 sixth album, Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1. The song "Gangnam Style" started appearing on TV and in newspapers outside Asia. On August 14, "Gangnam Style" was number one on YouTube's 'Most Viewed Videos' chart for the month. On August 21, 2012, "Gangnam Style" officially reached No. 1 on the iTunes Music Video Charts. It passed songs by Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. This was the first time a South Korean artist achieved this.

After the video became very popular, many famous people shared their excitement. Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and Tom Cruise posted about it on Twitter. The "Gangnam Style" craze also made his older music videos, like "Right Now", more popular. On September 14, 2012, he appeared on The Today Show in New York City. He performed the song live and taught the dance moves. The next day, he also appeared on Saturday Night Live in a skit about "Gangnam Style".

Psy was signed by Scooter Braun to his company, Schoolboy Records. In early September, the Gangnam district gave Psy an award and made him an honorary ambassador. On October 24, 2012, the United Nations recognized Psy as an "International sensation". U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with Psy. He believed music could help overcome differences. Ban said Psy has an "unlimited global reach" and hoped they could work together.

Psy was also named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

On November 7, 2012, Psy gave a speech in England at the Oxford Union. He talked about "Gangnam Style" and his next album. He told the audience that the success of "Gangnam Style" was both a dream and a challenge. It would be hard for his next song to be as successful. He also spoke about his early life and when he realized "Gangnam Style" was famous. Tickets for his speech were in very high demand.

On November 12, 2012, Psy performed "Gangnam Style" at the MTV Europe Music Awards. He won the "Best Video" award, beating artists like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. A few days later, American singer-songwriter Madonna performed "Gangnam Style" with Psy during a concert in New York City. Psy later said performing with Madonna was one of his greatest achievements.

On November 24, 2012, "Gangnam Style" became the most viewed video in YouTube history. It passed Justin Bieber's "Baby". Psy then won four awards at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong. On December 21, 2012, "Gangnam Style" reached 1 billion views on YouTube. It was the first video to do so. He met actor Jackie Chan, who called him a role model. Psy was also chosen as Singer of the Year in a public survey.

In January 2013, Psy won the 2013 Korea Image Stepping Stone Award. This was for "his contribution to enhancing the national image". Psy also appeared on Brazilian TV for the first time. On January 27, 2013, it was announced that Psy would perform at South Korea's presidential inauguration ceremony on February 25, 2013.

New Songs and YouTube Records (2013–2014)

On April 12, 2013, Psy's next song, "Gentleman", was leaked online. The next day, the music video for "Gentleman" was shown at Psy's 'Happening' Concert. 50,000 people attended, and 150,000 watched it live on YouTube. Psy reportedly spent US$2.7 million on the concert.

Psy continued to promote "Gentleman" throughout 2013. He appeared on Live! with Kelly and Michael and taught the hosts the "Gentleman Dance". Psy also performed "Gentleman" on the finale of American Idol season 12 and Dancing With the Stars Season 16. He also performed at the final match of the 2012–13 Coppa Italia. On June 8, 2013, Psy performed "Gentleman" on the finale of Britain's Got Talent. Later that month, Psy co-hosted the Canadian MuchMusic Video Awards.

In April 2013, Psy became the tourism ambassador for South Korea for 2013. On May 9, Psy gave a special talk at Harvard University. He spoke about his passion and why he became popular.

..... He also said he planned to release a song called "Father".

On December 1, 2014, the YouTube video for "Gangnam Style" received over 2,147,483,647 views. This number was so large that it made YouTube's old view counter overflow. YouTube then updated its system to handle much larger numbers.

New Albums and Leaving YG Entertainment (2015–2018)

On March 28, 2015, Psy released a music video for his song Father. On December 1, 2015, Psy released his seventh album, Chiljip PSY-da. It had two main songs, "Daddy" and "Napal Baji". The album included other artists like CL and Will.i.am. "Daddy" was also included in the dance 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". The album featured other artists like G-Dragon and Taeyang. The music video for "I Luv It" featured actor Lee Byung-hun and comedian Pikotaro. For the "New Face" video, Apink's Son Na-eun played the main role.

On May 15, 2018, Psy officially left YG Entertainment after eight years.

P Nation and Recent Work (2019–Present)

In 2019, Psy started his own music company called P Nation. He signed his first artist, Jessi, on January 25, 2019. Two days later, he also signed Hyuna and Dawn. He also signed Crush on July 17, 2019, and Heize on September 16, 2020.

On April 26, 2021, it was reported that Psy and Park Jin-young, who started JYP Entertainment, would work together. They would each form a new boy group on the show Loud, which started on June 5, 2021. In 2022, Psy performed his first concert in Dubai as part of the Expo 2020 Korean national day event.

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

On June 10, 2022, Psy announced the schedule for his 'Psy Soak Show SUMMER SWAG 2022'. This was a tour of 7 cities in South Korea that lasted until August 20.

P Nation Music Company

After Psy left YG Entertainment in 2018, he started his own entertainment company, P Nation. Psy announced the first artist signed to his company in January 2019, the rapper Jessi. P Nation then signed Hyuna and Dawn.

As of November 2022, the company had 10 artists signed, including the six-member boy band, TNX. The record company is located in the Gangnam area of Seoul.

Psy's Style and Image

Park Jae-sang's stage name "Psy" comes from the word psycho. He explained that he thought of himself as "crazy about music, dancing, performance, so that kind of psycho".

Musical Influences

In a 2012 interview, Psy said that Freddie Mercury from the British rock band Queen was his biggest musical influence. He said, "My lifetime role model and hero is Freddie Mercury of Queen. His songwriting skills, I cannot even approach, but his showmanship, I learned it from videos." Psy also said he wanted to meet American actor Tom Cruise, who helped make "Gangnam Style" popular on Twitter.

Achievements and Impact

Psy has earned several Guinness World Records during his career:

• "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

Because of his success, Psy is seen as the first K-pop artist to become very popular in the Western music industry. Psy said that it would only be a matter of time before K-Pop would produce many other artists like him.

According to Hugo Swire, a British government official, Psy's music has shown the world how lively and modern Korea is. South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized Psy's cultural achievements. They gave him the Okgwan Order, a special award for cultural merit.

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 so.

Personal Life

On October 14, 2006, Psy married Yoo Hye-yeon. She was a cello student at Yonsei University and his girlfriend for three and a half years. They have twin daughters. Psy considers "Gangnam Style" to be the greatest achievement of his life.

In November 2012, Psy bought a home in Westwood, California. He made this purchase to move to Los Angeles after signing with music manager Scooter Braun. This move was to help his career grow.

In 2022, he moved back to South Korea to start his record label. He lives in the Gangnam area.

Views on North Korea

In the early 2010s, the relationship between South Korea and North Korea became more tense. Because of this, the media often asked Psy about his thoughts on North Korea.

On April 13, 2013, Psy attended a press conference. He said he was sad about the conflict between his country and North Korea. He called the situation a "tragedy". He also hoped that North Koreans would one day enjoy his music. He said his job was to make everyone, including North Koreans, laugh. Before a concert in Seoul, Psy added, "Tonight me and 50,000 Korean people... we are going to sing out loud. We are going to shout out loud and we are really close to them, so they [the North Koreans] can hear."

In an interview in April 2013, Psy was asked about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's threats. Psy replied, "As an entertainer, I don't want to talk about politics. As a Korean citizen, I want peace. That's all I can say. I want permanent peace."

Helping Others

On August 11, 2022, Psy donated ₩100 million to help people affected by the 2022 South Korean floods. This donation was made through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

Earnings

According to The Korea Times in 2013, Psy earned more than US$40 million in 2012. This came from concerts, TV commercials, and social media income from "Gangnam Style". His personal income in 2012 was estimated to be US$28 million. This was based on his profit-sharing agreement with YG Entertainment.

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

Movies

Television Shows

Music Video Cameos

A list of music videos where Psy appeared as a guest.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: PSY para niños

• List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists