LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – South Korean rapper Psy’s infectious viral hit song, “Gangnam Style,” made history yesterday as the first ever video on YouTube to reach 1 billion views, adding yet another record to the song’s juggernaut journey into mainstream pop.
The song, first posted on YouTube on July 15, clocked the 1 billion milestone at 10:50 a.m. EST (1550 GMT) and YouTube marked the occasion with a dancing Psy doodle next to their logo.
The song also became YouTube’s most watched video last month, overtaking Justin Bieber’s “Baby” video, which previously held the title.
“I didn’t even imagine ‘Gangnam Style’ would get 1 million views, let alone 1 billion views! Is this the Tru-PSY show?” the rapper said in a statement.
This has been a whirlwind year for rapper Psy, 34, who is the first Korean pop (or K-pop) artist to achieve mainstream success in the U.S. after “Gangnam Style,” named after the affluent Gangnam District in Seoul, captured viewers’ attention.
