Psy Signs with U.S. Record Label Island Records

On September 4, Psy’s representative announced that Psy signed a contract with U.S. record label Island Records which gives Island Records exclusive international publishing rights and management over Psy.  Island Records is owned by Universal Music Group and represents world-renowned stars including Mariah Carey, Melissa Ethridge, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, The Killers, Snow Patrol, and Fall Out Boy. 

It is amazing how much can change in one month. 

On July 16, after a two year hiatus from the music scene, Psy made his comeback and released the music video for his satirical single “Gangnam Style.”  The music video with its instantly recognizable horse dance and addictive chorus (“Heyyyy, sexy lady!”) became a viral hit racking up a series of news mentions in the U.S. media (“Gawker” on July 30, “CNN International” on August 2, “Wall Street Journal” on August 8, “ABC News” on August 14, “Time” on August 15, “The Atlantic” on August 23) and tweets by entertainers in the music industry (Katy Perry, T-Pain, Robbie Williams, Josh Groban, Britney Spears).       

On August 15, Psy flew out to Los Angeles and during his trip met with Justin Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, and representatives from Justin Bieber’s record label Island Records. Psy was originally scheduled to fly to Los Angeles for a personal trip, but, after receiving a love call from Justin Bieber’s manager, Psy had the opportunity to combine both work and play.  On August 20, Psy had an impromptu dance performance at Dodgers Stadium before 50,000 baseball fans when his single “Gangnam Style” was played during the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants game.    

On August 22, it was reported in the media that Psy had received a contract offer from Justin Bieber’s record label Island Records.  However, on August 22, YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun Suk told the media that Psy had met with Scooter Braun, talks had gone well, and that Braun had actually discovered Psy through YouTube (the same way that Justin Bieber was discovered).  But Yang Hyun Suk did not disclose information as to whether a contract offer had been received or was being considered.     

Psy became the first K-pop artist to hit the #1 spot on the iTunes music video chart on August 21. Psy became the highest ranking K-pop artist by reaching the #44 spot on the iTunes Top 100 chart on August 28.  Psy became the first K-pop artist to hit the #1 spot on the Billboard’s Social 50 chart on August 31.  Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video was also the most watched video on YouTube in the past month as of August 14 with over 28 million clicks.  As of the writing of this article, September 4, Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video has surpassed over 97,700,00 million clicks.