Gangnam Style star Psy back in saddle with new single 'Gentleman'

SEOUL - Agence France-Presse

South Korean rapper Psy (C) performs at KIIS FM's Jingle Ball concert in Los Angeles, California, in this December 3, 2012 file picture. REUTERS photo /Mario Anzuoni

"Gangnam Style" star Psy unveiled Friday the follow-up to his global hit with another catchy dance tune infused with his signature self-mocking humour -- but fans had to wait for the all-important video.

Even Kim Jong-Un's threats of nuclear war couldn't divert world attention from the main event on the Korean peninsula as "Gentleman" hit online music stores in a midnight rolling release across 119 nations.

With fans and critics waiting to see whether the "Gangnam Style" star and his invisible horse-riding dance are more than just a one-hit wonder, the new electro-dance song offers an equally simple and catchy melody.

The song -- a satire of a self-proclaimed "gentleman" trying to woo women at a party -- contains more English lyrics than "Gangnam Style" in a clear nod to the singer's newfound global audience.




"Let me tell you about myself. I'm such a charmer with guts, vigour and humour," Psy sings in Korean before launching into the song's English catch-line: "I'm a mother-father gentleman." "Gonna make you sweat. Gonna make you wet. You know who I am? Wet Psy!" he sings in English.

The song went straight to the top of the download charts on half-a-dozen South Korean online music sites, but the critical reaction on social network sites was mixed.

A snap poll of 2,000 users on Daum.net, a leading South Korean news portal, saw 38.9 percent rate the song as either good or very good, but 48.3 percent opted for mediocre or dull.

Many fans voiced frustration at having to wait for the accompanying video which will reveal Psy's new dance moves.

The video is expected to be unveiled around the time of a promotional concert at Seoul's World Cup Stadium on Saturday which will be streamed live on YouTube.

It was the video of "Gangnam Style", and in particular Psy's signature horse-riding dance, that pushed him to global stardom last year after it was posted on YouTube and turned into a viral sensation.

A satire on the luxury lifestyle of Seoul's upscale Gangnam district, it has become the most-watched YouTube video of all time, registering more than 1.5 billion views since it debuted last July.

The song topped charts around the world, and inspired a horde of online tributes and parodies, as well as flash mobs of thousands of dancing fans in cities such as Paris and Milan.

Psy has promised a "Psy style" take on a traditional Korean dance for the new "Gentleman" video.