


"Oppa" is a Korean familial (casual ) term for an older brother by a younger sister, or for any slightly older male by a younger female. The literal translation is "Older Brother has Gangnam Style." So, why are all the English translations of the song's lyrics "Oppa has Gangnam Style" rather than "Big Brother?"īecause Korean to English translation for a song like Gangnam Style is sometimes best left in Korean: And so, that question has also been answered many, many times. But, due to its explosive worldwide popularity, the natural progression of interest and curiosity has led us to millions of fan inquiries, an interview by the New York Times, and hundreds of blogs, articles and Q&A's about Psy and Gangnam Style: Everyone wants to know what "Oppan Gangnam Style" means. We love the song whether we understand it or not. No, it is not immediate concern whether or not we understand Psy's Korean rap, or if we even really know what "Gangnam Style" is, or what "Oppan Gangnam Style" means. However, he has admitted to dancing "Gangnam Style" to embarrass his daughters).


(It's not actually President Obama, but an actor dressed like him. There is even footage of President Obama doing the famous Gangnam Style horse-dance Psy created for the song. Psy's humorous and yet talented dancing, his hilarious video content, and his ascerbic jabs at the wealthiest social circle in South Korea are all reasons why Psy's music and his music video are such a hit, that the song has long since permeated many aspects of American culture, and grown far beyond the music video itself. Through music, dancing and visual humor, the level at which Gangnam Style strikes an immediate liking for all those who see and hear it, is one that can surpass the barrier of foreign language: which is something both remarkable and rarely found, indeed, especially because of the propensity for mainstream music audiences in America to learn and sing along to their favorite music.įor parents in nearly any part of the world, if you have children under 30, chances are they've seen the Gangnam Style music video on You-Tube - probably more than once. While there are many offerances of Korean to English translation out there for Gangnam Style lyrics, audiences do not care whether they understand the lyrics or not. Gangnam Style is a record-breaker in many ways: it is the first Korean language song to become popular in the U.S and the UK the first K-pop song and artist to make it big outside of Korea, and the first video to surpass the amount of views previously held by Justin Bieber, on You-Tube.Ĭreative Korean Translation Needed for Oppa Gangnam Style Psy's famous music video Gangnam Style, which went viral on You-Tube in August of 2012, has reached well over 1 billion views - a record-breaking achievement by far. South Korean K-pop singer Psy is the first Korean singer/performer to top the charts in not only the U.S., but all over Europe and the UK.
