Share

Psy's Gentleman sets new YouTube record

Seoul - Gangnam Style star Psy's new music video crossed the 100 million views mark on YouTube on Wednesday, shattering another record on the video-sharing site since its much-anticipated weekend debut.

The video for Gentleman, the long-awaited follow-up to the South Korean singer's global hit, has received 105.4 million hits, topping 100 million in record time since it was posted on Saturday.

The previous record was set by the video of Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle singing I Dreamed A Dream in the TV show, which received 100 million hits in just over a week in 2009.

Psy's latest offering also racked up around 20 million hits in the first 24 hours, smashing the previous record for first-day views of 8.0 million set by Canadian star Justin Bieber's Boyfriend video in May 2012.

Practical jokes on women

The video shows Psy, wearing his signature sunglasses, dancing at various locations in and around Seoul including a high-end clothing store, restaurant, swimming pool and a library.

The storyline features the singer teasing and playing practical jokes on women, such as pulling their chairs away as they are about to sit or untying a woman's bikini top at a swimming pool, before meeting his match.

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.

Critical reactions

Gentleman was ranked on Wednesday in the top 10 songs on iTunes stores in a number of countries including France, Australia, Canada and Britain and topped the chart in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Greece.

Critical reactions to the song were mixed but the video - showing the quirky singer's signature self-mocking humour as well as the new hip-swivelling dance - left many fans satisfied.

"I can tell that by July, people around the world will do that dance," said one of 500 000 YouTube users who posted comments.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE