Responding to the new milestone, the South Korean pop star said he is 'still wondering and analyzing its success'.
- Dec 22, 2012
AceShowbiz - PSY is celebrating a new milestone achieved by his widely popular song "Gangnam Style". The song's music video officially became the most watched YouTube clip of all time when it hit the massive 1 billion views only six months after it was posted on July 15 this year.
The South Korean pop star himself could not believe that he would reach that number. "I can't compare it to anything else!" he told MTV News with a laugh. "In 2012, I experienced so many things; it's been a tremendous year, but to accomplish this, it's really something that stands out. Because it all began with YouTube, and to have [the video] reach 1 billion views ... I don't think even I can break that record!"
With the new number, PSY soars much higher than previous record holder, Justin Bieber's "Baby", which settles in under 815 million at the same time PSY hit 1 billion. It is predicted that PSY has earned around $2 million from the video views alone.
Speaking of his disbelief, PSY said, "Honestly, when I made this video I didn't even expect 1 million views, because this is off my sixth album in Korea, so I just hoped it would be huge there. I didn't even think about any other countries; I just did my job and waited and watched. And, you know, today, I'm still wondering and analyzing its success. Because I've done this thing many times, this dance, this album, this video ... this one just became something else entirely."
YouTube Trends Manager Kevin Allocca may have the explanation. "The video is a central part: it's not just about the song," he said. "This is very emblematic of where we are in terms of entertainment in the social media world: The dance, it really catches your attention. The first time, you think, 'What the heck is going on? Who is this guy?' It's so flashy and eye-catching and you can't take your eyes off of it. And when you talk about these popular videos, you become a part of something larger."
