Korean Music Breaks Into U.S. - Gangnam Style

I'm not Korean, but I've been a huge fan of Kpop since I was an early teen. One of my best friends that lived one house down  was Korean and got me into it, starting with BoA*'s hit single "No. 1" in 2002.

Through the years, Kpop groups have tried to break into the U.S., including BoA* and more recently, girl group 2NE1, however this has proved challenging for them, and for most groups, they fail to make a splash in the U.S. music market, no matter how big they are in their home country.

However, one Korean musician has become a viral phenomenon, surpassing 100 million views on YouTube.
This has happened in a very short period of time and has created such an international buzz that many big musicians only dream of creating in the U.S.

South-Korean rapper Psy was not expecting his video for "Gangnam Style" to gain so much attention, especially internationally. In a recent interview, he explained that the video was only made for the Korean audience and he never expected it to grow to such magnitude. Katy Perry has even tweeted the video saying she's "addicted".

From what I hear from friends and family back home in the D.C. - Maryland - Virginia area, the track has been played on main radio stations including HOT 99.5. 

This is a huge break for a Korean artist. Can Psy retain the U.S. audience? Will he be accepted and taken seriously as an artist? Or is Gangnam Style just another funny video that's gone viral through YouTube.

Only time will tell...

[B]