Gangnam Style, Isn't it Awesome?

Ok for everyone who hasn't yet seen the video or heard the song go to youtube and check it out.

So your initial reaction to this was probably something along the WTF lines for both the song, the video, the dance, etc, me included. But then it got into the UK charts at number 37 just a few weeks ago, made number 1 in the Itunes chart and is now number 3 in the top 40 as I write this, and that got me thinking, how awesome is that?

For a song you can't understand 95% of to get a chart position? Something which the winner of talent show The Voice failed to do. I for the record don't dislike The Voice and liked the concept of putting people on the mic who could actually sing, rather than the usual xfactor method of 'here's a mic, knock yourself out' car crash tv, which I can't stand.

Still if you follow the chart regularly, which I still do as a musician just to keep up to date with whats out there, its wonderful to see another culture being accepted with such open arms, not to mention a song in a foreign language, I can't remember the last time we saw a Korean act do this or if a Korean act ever has. The videos popularity appears worldwide, its recently become the most liked video on youtube and racks up about 10 million views a day at the moment.

I think what I love most about it is that its a breath of fresh air the top 40 charts kinda needs for people who still follow it. Playing every single 30 second sample of the top forty its stunning how closed to certain genres it is, and how the chart is mostly UK and american acts. At certain points, I can't tell the difference between one song or another, I thought I'd just replayed the same sample by accident.

Despite the message of the song, which is actually meant to poke at fun at the fashionable district in in the Korean capital city Seoul, named Gangnam, It also has a feel of cheesy novelty with the dance moves. This makes me think of other songs along the lines of Saturday Night or The Macarena, songs the dancefloor can drunk dance to and not care if you're looking stupid.

So I say we keep supporting different music acts and who knows what weird dances we'll be doing in a years time, and if you like Psy, check out G-Dragon, K-pops equivalent of Lady Gaga, and for something a bit heavier, check out the Gazette who I'm really digging right now.

I'm Richard, and you're awesome for reading this :)

P.s. I could never get the hang of The Macarena anyway...........