WASHINGTON (AP) ― A holiday concert attended Sunday by President Barack Obama and his family included some non-traditional entertainment this year: a performance by South Korean rapper and Internet sensation Psy.Psy ― wearing an all-red outfit including a sparkling, sequined top ― was backed by dancers wearing reindeer antlers as he performed his popular “Gangnam Style” dance, which mimics riding a horse.The rapper, born Park Jae-sang, had apologized Friday for using what he called “inflammatory

Dec. 10, 2012

Singer Psy, mired in controversy concerning his performance of a song containing anti-American lyrics several years ago, is still scheduled to perform at an annual Christmas special in Washington, D.C. In 2004, the rapper joined in the singing of a Korean-language song titled “Dear America,” written by metal band N.EX.T, which called for the slaying of U.S. soldiers and their families. A story on the performance appeared in the U.S. media last week. Part of the lyrics read, “Kill those f―king Ya

Dec. 9, 2012

As “Gangnam Style’’ gallops toward 1 billion views on YouTube, the first Asian pop artist to capture a massive global audience has gotten richer click by click. So too has his agent and his grandmother. But the money from music sales isn’t flowing in from the rapper’s homeland South Korea or elsewhere in Asia.With one song, 34-year-old Park Jae-sang ― better known as Psy ― is set to become a millionaire from YouTube ads and iTunes downloads, underlining a shift in how money is being made in the

Dec. 6, 2012

“Secret Garden” heartthrob Hyun-bin was officially discharged from his mandatory military duties yesterday. He enlisted in the Marines on March 7, 2011, and after nearly two years of service, has completed his compulsory duties and expressed his anticipation to start working again. Despite the freezing weather, hundreds of fans gathered outside his base in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, to welcome him back. Hyun-bin gave an emotional speech about the hardships he endured for not being able to act

Dec. 6, 2012

Psy swept four awards at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong on Friday. The “Gangnam Style” singer won Best Dance Performance Solo, Best Music Video, International Favorite Artist, and one of MAMA’s grand prizes, Song of the Year.“My singing career hasn’t always been so successful, but this year has been so exceptionally great,” said the singer after accepting the honor at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.“I’d like to thank Scooter Braun, whom I work with in the U.S.”The

Dec. 2, 2012

It is official: Psy’s viral hit “Gangnam Style” has now surpassed the 810 million viewer mark, making it the most-watched video in YouTube history. Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, galloped past the teenage heartthrob Justin Bieber on Saturday to take the top spot. Bieber’s “Baby,” which took more than two years to reach the 800 million mark, had sat at the top of the YouTube views ranking since July 2010.“Each day, ‘Gangnam Style’ is still being watched between 7 and 10 million times,” wr

Nov. 25, 2012

It is official: Psy’s viral hit “Gangnam Style” has now surpassed the 810 million viewer mark, making it the most-watched video in YouTube history. Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, galloped past the teenage heartthrob Justin Bieber on Saturday to take the top spot. Bieber’s “Baby,” which took more than two years to reach the 800 million mark, had sat at the top of the YouTube views ranking since July 2010.“Each day, ‘Gangnam Style’ is still being watched between 7 and 10 million times,” wr

Nov. 24, 2012

The music video of "Gangnam Style" by South Korean singer-rapper Psy is soon expected to become the most-viewed video on YouTube, as the number of views topped 800 million as of Saturday.The music video is already ranked second on YouTube's all-time most-viewed videos, according to the Web site."Gangnam Style" is only short of some 3 million views to take the No. 1 position, which is only a matter of time, industry observers said, especially when considering the short period of time it took for

Nov. 24, 2012

International sensation Psy’s “Gangnam Style” was included in the latest edition of the “Now That’s What I Call Music” compilation album series. “Now” is an album that compiles Top 40 pop singles of the time into one album. Since its launch in the UK in 1983, the series has amassed over 100 million album sales worldwide. The 44th volume of the album, released on Nov. 6, features Pink’s “Blow Me (One Last Kiss),” Flo Rida’s “Whistle,” Nicki Minaj’s “Pound the Alarm” and other recent hit songs. “G

Nov. 21, 2012

The U.K.’s Observer newspaper predicted that South Korean girl group Girl’s Generation (SNSD) will continue the worldwide hallyu syndrome sparked by “Ganganm Style” singer Psy. “The women, all aged between 21 and 23, are the obvious choice to take up Psy’s mantle in the U.K., where artists who sell millions of albums in Korea and Japan are known only to a small number of K-pop devotees,” the article posted on Saturday said.The article also quoted Steve McClure, a Tokyo-based executive editor of

Nov. 20, 2012

October, November and December will be both a cruel and anticipated period for fans of celebrities who have left or will be returning to showbiz due to their mandatory military service. As military service is regarded as an opportunity to be recognized for their masculinity, stars gladly take their duties and freshly start their careers. Welcome backMovie star Kang Dong-won is scheduled to complete his alternative military service at the Seoul Health and Environment Institute on Monday. Kang, wh

Nov. 9, 2012

International musical phenomenon Psy shared updates on his upcoming album and its release date, which has been postponed to March at the latest, during a press conference held in Paris on Tuesday. The “Gangnam Style” rapper told over 80 French journalists in attendance that the new album would feature a new half-Korean, half-English single and a selection of songs from his 12-year career in South Korea. “To the Koreans it’s going to be like Psy’s greatest hits, but to the world it’s going to be

Nov. 7, 2012

Worldwide hit-song “Gangnam Style’s” singer Psy postponed his U.S. single release date. The “international star’s” new song was originally scheduled to be released this month, but the date has been pushed back due to major changes made in his promotional schedule as well as the song. Yang Hyun-suk, the CEO of the YG Entertainment which is responsible for Psy promotion in Korea and Japan, claimed that Psy and his producer Scooter Braun finished making the song though it will not be released until

Nov. 1, 2012

South Korean artist Psy will hold his first U.S. concert in California on Jan. 26, the singer announced on Twitter.Tickets for the concert at the Honda Center in Anaheim, southern California, are available through various websites, including Ticketmaster. Tickets range in price from $48.50 to $337.85. Several Korean artists have previously performed at the Honda Center, formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, f(x) and EXO played for th

Oct. 29, 2012

South Korea’s YouTube sensation Psy will be on the front cover of the weekly U.S. music magazine Billboard.Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, was chosen to be on the cover of Billboard’s issue to be published on Nov. 3, the magazine said on its website on Friday. The 34-year-old entertainer rose to global fame when his song “Gangnam Style” featuring his comical horse-riding dance moves went viral in July on YouTube, and has since drawn more than 530 million views.He tweeted “I Am the Cover o

Oct. 26, 2012

World sensation Psy remained second on this week’s U.S. “Billboard HOT 100” chart.This is the fifth consecutive week his song “Gangnam Style” has made the number two spot, after American pop-rock band Maroon 5’s “One More Night.”The song first entered the chart six weeks ago and placed 64th. A week later, it jumped to the 11th spot and then to second place.The 34-year-old Korean rapper has promised to perform “topless in a place where everyone can watch” if the song tops the chart, though Maroon

Oct. 25, 2012