‘Gangnam Style’ star Psy celebrates 20-year career anniversary

 Psy, the singer-producer behind the 2012 viral sensation “Gangnam Style,” has celebrated his 20-year music career with a special social media post, his agency said Monday.

“Psy’s 20th debut anniversary … Congrats, @psy_oppa,” P Nation, the singer-producer’s agency — which he founded in 2018 — wrote on its Twitter and Instagram accounts, posting a special video and photo celebrating the career anniversary.

Psy, who debuted in 2001 with the album “Psy from the Psycho World!,” made a huge splash on the local music scene with lead track “Bird.” The then-rookie singer’s exotic and humorous outfit, dance and lyrics sent shock waves, earning him the nickname “weirdo singer.”

While Psy had already built a reputation as a singer with strong performances in his home country, the ultimate breakthrough came with the 2012 hit “Gangnam Style” that propelled him to global stardom.

The song surged to No. 2 on the Billboard’s Hot 100 — an unprecedented record for Korean artists — and YouTube views counts for the music video hit a record 1 billion.

The viral success prompted Psy to sign up with a U.S. management firm and label. He later released follow-up tracks, such as “Gentleman” and “Hangover,” which saw moderate success.

The singer has not released new music since his eighth album “4X2=8″ in 2017. He has since founded the agency-label P Nation, managing artists like Hyuna, Crush, Jessi and Heize.

mlee@yna.co.kr