Psy’s ‘Gentleman’ attracts 500 million YouTube views

International singer Psy’s music video “Gentleman” has attracted 500 million views as of July 31, only 110 days after its release on YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing Web site. It is the world’s second-fastest record after his “Gangnam Style” release (98 days). Since the No. 1 and 2 music videos with more than 500 million views on YouTube belong to Psy, he has demonstrated that he is not a singer with a “one-hit wonder.”

Currently, the No. 3 video with more than 500 million views is Jennifer Lopez’s “On The Floor” (362 days) and No. 4 is Justin Bieber’s “Baby” (402 days), which took more than three times as long to hit the 500 million mark. Despite the milestone of world’s No. 2 with more than 500 million views, “Gentleman” seems to fall short of “Gangnam Style,” which has reached an unprecedented number of 1.7 billion views.

“Gentleman” gained its momentum by exceeding 400 million views on YouTube in 55 days on June 7. It was 31 days faster than “Gangnam Style.” However, it took as many as 55 days for “Gentleman” to add 100 million views to 400 million. As a result, long-term competitors of “Gentleman” as to YouTube views are likely Bieber’s “Baby” (876.11 million) and Lopez’s “On The Floor” (681.17 million), the No. 3 and 3 contenders, instead of “Gangnam Style,” the world’s No. 1.

Apparently, the performance of “Gentleman” has been somewhat underestimated in the shadow of “Gangnam Style.” However, the accomplishments of “Gentleman” has been a huge success and a critical factor that has imprinted the PSY brand all over the world.

Psy’s next song is “PSY Effect,” which is set to be released this September. It’s almost a guarantee that it will be a popular equivalent to “Gentleman,” and its popularity will raise the views of “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman” at the same time. As a result, Psy’s official YouTube channel, which is the world’s No. 4 at the moment (3 billion views), will beat the world’s No. 1 pop star Rihanna (3.9 billion views) and No. 2 Bieber (3.88 billion views) and rise it to No. 1 status this year at its earliest.

by Han Seung-bum, Director of the Korean Wave Research Institute