Psy shelves Gangnam and returns to his roots
Styles album tops chart
SEOUL, May 23, (Agencies): South Korean rapper has gone back to basics with his eighth full-length album, paying greater attention to his home fans while doing what he loves most — “going crazy” on stage.
The “Gangnam Style” star said he had moved on from the success of the 2012 smash hit that sent him flying to the top of music charts around the world and shaped him into the internationally recognised artist he is today.
“’Gangnam Style’ gave me fame while as a creator, some rough times, but I’m not one to linger in the past and make two, three, four versions of (Gangnam Style) because I’m hung up on its fame,” Psy told Reuters.
“It was probably the biggest trophy the world could have given me. It’s now something on the shelf I can admire from time to time.”
His voice hoarse from performing for days on end at universities, Psy, 39, or Park Jai-sang, said he had forgotten his roots with the popularity of “Gangnam Style”, which holds the world record for most watched video with 2.8 billion views on YouTube as of May 22.
He currently has more than 10 million subscribers on his official YouTube channel, a record for a non-group individual in Asia.
Psy
Excitement
“It was like an addiction,” said Psy. “Like when you throw a party, it takes some time for that excitement to die down after it’s over. I think it took a while for that exhilaration to subside. Now I’m back to my normal life.”
Then where are Psy’s roots? Performing on stage, he said. All his appearances are linked to the latest album, “4x2=8”, with singles “I LUV IT” and “New Face” carrying that message.
Psy, who made his debut in 2001, wants to stay on stage for as long as he can, but his biggest dream is to retire just before people start telling him he’s washed up.
“I think the pain from being called that would be far greater than not being able to be on stage,” Psy said.
One Direction singer cemented his transition into a solo career with a chart-topping debut album on Monday, the second member of the band to top the chart.
Styles’ self-titled effort sold 193,000 albums, 100,000 songs and was streamed 39 million times in its first week, totaling 230,000 album units according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.
Styles, 23, is the second member of the British boy band to score a No. 1 solo album after
“Mind of Mine” debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart last year.
After Malik left One Direction in 2015, the band went on hiatus and three of its members released solo music.
Styles outpaced country group Zac Brown Band’s latest album “Welcome Home,” which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart this week with 146,000 album units.
The Billboard 200 album chart tallies units from album sales, song sales (10 songs equal one album) and streaming activity (1,500 streams equal one album).
is no longer with Sony’s Epic Records, but DJ believes the former chairman will bounce back in no time.
“L.A. Reid, he a legend. I’m sure he got some amazing things about to happen. You know nothing but love for L.A. Reid,” said DJ Khaled at Sunday’s Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.
Sony Music Entertainment released a sevenword statement last weekend announcing the exit: “L.A. Reid will be leaving the company.” The label had no additional comment.
“Good friend of mine,” added DJ Khaled. “He’s amazing. He’s the of our time. L.A. Reid is amazing. That’s my thoughts. He’s an amazing person and he’s a great executive, a great music mogul and he’s a great friend.”
Khaled, who was nominated for top rap album for “Major Key,” said he will continue to “be great” in the wake of Reid’s departure. Reid was instrumental in DJ Khaled breakout musical success.
“I mean, at the end of the day it’s you know, L.A. expects me to be great, you know what I’m saying? And I’m going to continue being great and he going to be proud of me. And that is that.”
As a preview of both his new album — “Is This the Life We Really Want?,” due June 2 on Columbia Records — and an upcoming, large scale tour promoted by AEG Live’s Concerts West division — “Us + Them,” which launches May 26 in Kansas City — held an elaborate late-afternoon dress rehearsal at the Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey on Sunday.
The event, ostensibly for “friends and family” (and what Waters teased was “friends and families of those families, then some more friends and families of those friends and families, and so on”), saw the 73-year-old in good physical shape but a bit of a hoarse voice as he led a nine-piece backing group with backing singers — some so new he forgot their names, but including longtime Beck drummer — through a powerful 23-song set list. Included was the live debut of four songs from the new album — “Deja Vu,” “The Last Refugee,” “Picture That” and “Smell the Roses” — while the rest were from his classic Pink Floyd songbook.
The newer songs — the acoustic “Deja Vu,” reminiscent of the harshly rocking “Picture That” — fit into Waters’ larger Pink Floyd oeuvre with ease, as did the look of the show.