Psy

October 24, 2012

I am South Korean Singer, Rapper, Composer, Dancer and Creator of Gangnam Style PSY. AMA

I will be answering questions at 5pm EST for 1 hour TODAY. Send your questions now and I will try to answer as many as possible. I tweeted my verification (psy_oppa)



[No question]

Hi everyone, we are running slightly late, will be with you ASAP!!


[No question]

i am excited to start AMA!

http://twitter.com/psy_oppa/status/261214117048762369/photo/1


[No question]

i will try to answer as many questions as possible and then i have to go to studio to finish my new record. thank you reddit for making this #1 post.


Why were you so mad at that girl's ass?

because her ass was so mad


Do you have a favorite Gangnam Style "spoof" video?

ohio university marching band


Psy you fucking rock! Thought you were hilarious in Hyuna's latest video. I have a few questions:

  1. As wonderful as she is, was there any reason you picked Hyuna as your front girl for Gangnam Style? I'm sure you had lots of choices in the Kpop world!

  2. When's your international album coming out? I think Right Now would be a great way to follow up outside of Korea, since I heard that you were looking to use a previous song. Would you be going in a similar direction for your next release, or would you be trying something like Champion instead?

shoutout to /r/kpop!

EDIT: Just saw that you actually intend to write your next song in English. Great! Any idea which direction you'd take it?

  1. i think hyuna is the best person for gangnam style because she has both aspects, sexy and cute

  2. coming very soon


Is Gangnam style intended to be a social critique, or is it just supposed to be fun?

GS is not a critique, just FUN!


How many instruments can you play?

  1. clarinet and drums

How was meeting Ban Ki-Moon?

it showed momentum of my life. much higher excitement than being #2 at billboard!!


How many asses have you screamed at since the start of your singing?

lots of ass questions. it is embarrassing to admit but this was my very first time


I am doing a report on Korean for a linguistics class. Do you find Korean to be difficult to rap in?

not at all because i'm korean!

in the same way, it's kind of hard to eat scrambled eggs for breakfast.


If you could collaborate on a song with any one artist/band, who would that artist be?

i love so many but if i had to choose one justin bieber


How did you come up with the name PSY?

short for psycho


How many times did it take to do the elevator portion of your video in Gangnam Style?

that was ad libbed. nong chul is the name of the elevator guy and he is very famous comedian in korea. that is a very popular dirty move he has been doing for 6 years and i asked him to do it in my video. if i am underneath, it would be dirtier!

we only did 2-3 takes and everyone on the video set was crying from laughing. definitely my favorite scene in the video.


I recently read you went to Berklee college of music up here in Boston. I've always had the impression that pop music isn't typically what Berklee students are interested in producing. I imagine this might just be misconception that I have, however. Still, with this in mind:

  1. unfortunately i didn't attend class that much. sorry!

  2. when i was in college i was young and stupid so i thought i cannot learn creative things from other people like professors. i taught myself. but nowadays sometimes i regret but things worked out ok.


Did you just sit down and say to yourself, "I'm going to make the catchiest fucking song of all time"?

i thought so but only for korea.


Who is one celebrity you want to meet that you haven't already?

tom cruise


many Koreans are huge gamers, are you? What are your favorites?

i don't play games at all. i only play physical games but i cannot tell you any details...


Did you dream of being a famous singer when you were a kid, or did you have other careers in mind?

i just wanted to be in front of people. i always enjoyed that when i was a kid.


What types of music do you like to listen to, both Korean and foreign?

i love to listen to everything


What are you dressing up as for halloween? Does South Korea have halloween?

i heard my costume is costume of the year so this halloween i gotta dress more classy, as classy as possible.

ryan seacrest suggested i dress up as taylor swift for halloween!

there is no halloween in south korea.


Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or a hundred duck-sized horses?

hundred duck sized horses!


What is the weirdest thing you've ever seen a fan do?

i feel weird about all the fans because they are so worldwide. i cannot really believe it yet.


[deleted]

yes here i am!


My Korean friend introduced me to the TV show Infinity Challenge, and we spent our weekends watching it in college! Loved your duet with Noh Hong-chul.

My question: when did you start learning clarinet, and what is your favorite clarinet solo to play?

i started learning at 8 yr old.

favorite solo is main theme of movie called "dying young" by kenny g.


Psy, what's something that people don't know about you that you wish they did?

i compose all my music myself


What were the best and worst things about living in Boston as a student.

best thing - so many beautiful college girls worst thing - too much snow


Hello PSY. My question is, what part of the "American Lifestyle" seemed the most strange to you when you first came here? BTW my mom is South Korean.

not taking off shoes indoors


Does it bother you that everyone only wants to talk about that one song?

it's ok because most people only know the one song. i can fix that later!!


Your international fame blew up really quickly. How did your family and friends react to your sudden popularity?

Edit: Grammar

they are normal people so they are freaked out because it's way too fast and way too far. even i myself get freaked out a little bit about it. we were not ready for this


What has been the best part of your new international fame?

achieving a larger fame than before


Can I come and hang out with you in Seoul?

call me maybe


How do you always manage to keep such a straight face when dancing?

because i'm serious about my dancing


Who is your inspiration ?

freddie mercury


Are you planing to come to Europe anytime soon?

in november


Are you planing to come to Europe anytime soon?

MTV EMA!!


How many people are in those huge concerts you do in Korea? The concerts look crazy massive!

seoul city hall was 100,000 people!


Are you looking forward to playing more shows in the USA? How has the fanbase treated you here so far?

in korea i've been really famous for my concert. coming soon to USA...


How do you keep your hair so perfect?

it only looks perfect on TV!


You say you produce music, which is incredibly rare in pop music. Does this mean you created the instrumental track in Gangnam style? If so what programs/hardware are you using. Also if you made this track I believe you could transition into being an electronic dance music producer quite easily.

Side note: you come across as a funny but humble guy. I'm happy for your success.

i'm doing the tracks with other guys together using Logic


what is your favourite song you've made, besides Gangnam Style?

find the song called "it's art" at youtube


Did you ever get bored doing the gangnam-style dance?

there's no time to be bored. i'm so busy doing the horse dance...


Why are you such a nice guy?

i am nicer than you think!


What's your favourite thing to eat for breakfast?

korean food


What are your current plans for your next album/single release and when can we hope to expect it?

very soon


Who do you interact with the most in YG Family?

YG himself


The lady who owns the pizza place next door is korean and she doesn't believe me when I tell her you're suddenly super popular in the states. That being said... Will you sign my tits?

where are you?


If you ever do live performances in America, will you do them all in Korean? I think you should.

i think so?


At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to make music? Was there a specific moment?

i wanted some beats so i could dance on my own. that was the beginning...


What's your favorite brand of Soju?

Chamisul. I'm a model for Chamisul


What is your favorite place in the world and why?

Also, do you crumple or fold your toilet paper?

seoul, korea. it is my home.

i fold first


Would you consider the greatest achievement in your life, waving the chequered flag at the Korean grand prix. If not what is it?

i consider gangnam style to be greatest achievement in my life so far...


[No question]

ok everybody. thank you for so many questions. sorry i could not answer them all. i have to go to studio to finish my new record now!

please follow me on twitter @PSY_oppa and see you soon!!!


This interview was transcribed from an "ask me anything" question and answer session with Psy conducted on Reddit on 2012-10-24. The Reddit AMA can be found here.