Gangnam Style
| "Gangnam Style" | ||||||||||||
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| Single by PSY | ||||||||||||
| from the album PSY's Best 6th Part 1 | ||||||||||||
| Released | July 15, 2012 | |||||||||||
| Format | CD single, digital download | |||||||||||
| Genre | Hip house, electro house, Korean hip hop, K-Pop | |||||||||||
| Length | 3:39 | |||||||||||
| Label | YG, Universal Republic | |||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Yoo Gun-hyung, Psy | |||||||||||
| PSY singles chronology | ||||||||||||
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| Music sample | ||||||||||||
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| Music video | ||||||||||||
| "Gangnam Style" on YouTube | ||||||||||||
| Alternative cover | ||||||||||||
Original design
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It has been shared on the internet by celebrities including T-Pain and Katy Perry, covered by others such as Nelly Furtado[4] and Maroon 5,[5] and has been featured in international media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and CNN International. (See Reception)
Around early September, "Gangnam Style" flash mobs started to appear in various capitals of the world, and "Gangnam Style" has also become the source of parodies and reaction videos by, among others, The Oregon Duck and midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy. Psy has brought the "Gangnam Style" dance to various locations including Dodger Stadium, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Samsung commercials. (See Impact)
On September 17, "Gangnam Style" was nominated for Best Video at the upcoming 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards that will be held in Frankfurt, Germany.[6]
Contents[hide] |
Background
"Gangnam Style" is a Korean language colloquialism that refers to a luxurious lifestyle associated with the Gangnam district,[7] an affluent area of Seoul,[8] where people are trendy, hip and exude a certain "swag". The term was listed in TIME's weekly vocabulary list as a manner associated with lavish lifestyles in Seoul’s Gangnam district.[9] In a CNN interview, PSY has compared Gangnam to Beverly Hills, California.[10]The song is about "the perfect girlfriend who knows when to be refined and when to get wild."[12] The song's refrain "오빤 강남 스타일 (Oppan Gangnam seutail)" has been translated as "Big brother is Gangnam style", with Psy referring to himself;[13][14] "oppa" is a Korean phrase used by females to refer to an older male friend or older brother.[15]"Gangnam is a territory in Seoul, Korea. I describe it as noble at the daytime and going crazy at the night time. I compare ladies to the territory. So — noble at the daytime, going crazy at the night time — and the lyric says I am the right guy for the lady who is like that," said Psy.[11]
The song is a satire of conspicuous consumption in South Korea – such satire is unusual in South Korean music, especially in K-Pop, which is known for bubblegum pop.[16] South Korea has a high amount of conspicuous consumption. The country's credit card debt is 155% of its disposable income, and such debt has been encouraged by the government to help drive economic growth. One of the most common types of conspicuous consumption is expensive coffee. Women known as Doenjangnyeo are known to spend large amounts on expensive coffee while eating cheap Ramen meals. This is why Psy draws attention to drinking coffee in the song.[16]
The lyrics are by Psy, music by Psy and Yoo Gun-hyung, and it was arranged by Yoo Gun-hyung, who is a well-known producer in South Korea and also collaborated with Psy in the past. In K-Pop, it is unusual for an artist to write his own music and choreograph his own video as Psy does.[16]
Music video
The music video shows PSY dancing a comical horse-riding dance and appearing in unexpected locations around Gangnam such as an outdoor yoga session and a hot tub. It features a "skewering [of] the Gangnam image" by the "non-Gangnam PSY"; this is recognizable to Korean viewers.[17]In K-Pop, it's routine to have a lot of cameos by celebrities in a music video. Placing cameos is the reason for the dance scenes in the elevator and parking garage.[16] Making appearances in the music video are:
- 4minute member Hyuna playing Psy's love interest and appearing in the two final dance sequences.
- Hwang Min-woo, a 5 year old boy who is seen dancing at the beginning of the video. During an interview with CNN, Psy stated that "the night before the music video shoot, I was watching Korea's Got Talent and saw him dance to Michael Jackson. His moves were ridiculous. So we called him up and asked him to be in the music video, which was shooting the very next day, and he came and it all worked out."[10] He has been praised for his eye-catching dance moves that has received a lot of attention from viewers.[18]
- Comedian/television personality, Korea's Nation emcee Yoo Jae-Suk, in a dance duel with Psy.
- Comedian/television personality, No Hongchul, dancing in an elevator with his trademark pelvis-thrusting, with Psy rapping underneath him.
- BIGBANG members Seungri and Daesung were also in the music video, appearing as two old men playing chess in the background before being blown away by an explosion.
Release
When "Gangnam Style" was first released on July 15, 2012, it was known only to fans of K-Pop, and in particular those of Psy's record label the South Korean management agency YG Entertainment. Psy told Yonhap News Agency that he originally "didn't make this for foreign countries...This was always for local fans."[13] However, K-Pop fans started to post it on social networks like Facebook and Twitter and it was not long before internet users outside the K-Pop community began to notice it. Soon, celebrities in and outside the United States began to share the video with their fans, triggering a snowball effect.About a month after its initial release, on August 17, Gangnam Style officially won first-place in the Korean music television programme Music Bank[21] on KBS 2TV, scoring a total of 18,601 points.
...a considerable slice of the U.S. blogosphere has been
obsessed with Psy’s new video “Gangnam Style".
obsessed with Psy’s new video “Gangnam Style".
“
”
Evan Ramstad from The Wall Street Journal,[19] August 3
On September 15, "Gangnam Style" became the first K-Pop song to take the number 1 position on the iTunes chart. [23] On September 17, it was nominated for Best Video at the upcoming 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards that will be held in Frankfurt, Germany.[24]
Reception
Although K-Pop has been getting increasingly popular over the past few years due to the Korean Wave, it is still fairly uncommon for K-Pop songs to be featured in foreign broadcasting networks and newspapers. However, "Gangnam Style" has managed to catch the attention of international media outlets such as the CBC[25] and CNN, the latter of which describes it as "very different and comedic."[need quotation to verify]Other broadcasting networks, popular magazines and newspapers which have reported on "Gangnam Style" include Reuters,[26] The Los Angeles Times,[27] The Huffington Post,[28] The Herald Sun,[29] The Atlantic,[16] The Vancouver Observer,[30] The Wall Street Journal,[31] ABC News,[14] USA Today,[32] the Bleacher Report,[33] Bloomberg,[34] ESPN,[35] Le Point,[36] Libération[37] Le Nouvel Observateur,[38] BBC,[39] VH1,[40] M6 TV,[41] and the Financial Times[42]Maura Judkis of The Washington Post wrote, "'Gangnam Style' has made an extraordinarily stupid-looking dance move suddenly cool".[43] The German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel similarly attributes the growing popularity of "Gangnam Style" to its daring dance moves.[44] Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press wrote that Psy is "currently having a pop culture moment". Psy's dance moves are "somewhat bizarre" but the music video is full of "colorful, lively outfits". He also remarked that Psy "is excited his colorful style is being celebrated in the United States, and around the world."[45]
K-pop conquers US, ‘Gangnam Style’
“
”
Jason Abbruzzese from the Financial Times, September 14[42]
Melissa Locker of TIME noted that "it's hard not to watch again …and again …and again",[46] while CNN reporter Shanon Cook told the audience that she had watched "Gangnam Style" about 15 times.[47]
Although "Gangnam Style" has been met with largely positive reactions, some have found it wacky or even vulgar.[48] Matt Buchanan and Scott Ellis of the The Sydney Morning Herald writes that the video "makes no sense at all to most Western eyes" and it "makes you wonder if you have accidentally taken someone else's medication."[49] Paul Lester of The Guardian labelled it as "generic ravey Euro dance with guitars".[50] and Robert Myers of The Village Voice called it "an inspired piece of silliness".[51]
Commentary outside the Anglosphere
Below is a list of influential newspapers and broadcasting networks outside the English-speaking world that have commented on Gangnam Style since its release in July:| Date (2012), Country | Journalist/Reporter, Source | Type | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
28 July, Finland | Ilta-Sanomat | National daily tabloid newspaper | Unohtakaa Macarena, tässä tulee hevostanssi![52] [Forget about Macarena, here comes the horse dance!] |
7 August, Germany | Jan Augustiny, Stern | Weekly news magazine | Er (Psy) sieht aus wie Kim Jong-Il...[53] [He (Psy) looks like Kim Jong-Il...] |
19 August, France | Stéphane Lagarde, Radio France Internationale | Public broadcaster | "Gangnam Style", la très addictive danse du cheval[54] ["Gangnam Style", the highly addictive horse dance] |
26 August, Switzerland | Dominique Marcel Iten, DRS 3 | National radio station | Zurzeit begeistert aber ausgerechnet ein verrückter Südkoreaner unter dem Pseudonym PSY die ganze Welt[55] [Right now, the entire world is fascinated by a mad South Korean with the pseudonym PSY] |
6 September, Italy | Luca Castelli, La Stampa | National daily newspaper | Gangnam, il rap coreano che ha conquistato il mondo[56] [Gangnam, the Korean song that has conquered the world] |
10 September, Paraguay | La Nacion | National daily newspaper | Flashmob Gangnam Style: El "paso del caballo", se baila en Paraguay [Flashmob Gangnam Style: The "horse dance" comes to Paraguay][57] |
10 September, Norway | Espen Eide, TV 2 | Commercial TV Station | Park (34) knuser Justin Bieber på YouTube [Park (34) surpasses Justin Bieber on Youtube][58] |
15 September, Belgium | Gunter Van Assche, De Morgen | Regional daily newspaper | Het onzichtbare paard in het dwaze dansje zou een metafoor zijn voor de bezits-drang van de mens[59] [The invisible horse in this silly dance is like a metaphor that represents man's desire to be rich] |
15 September, Sweden | Natalia Kazmierska, Aftonbladet | National daily tabloid newspaper | Och nu kommer hysterin till Sverige: om en vecka ska en flash mob, där en tonårig folkmassa synkdansar till Gangnam Style, äga rum på Sergels torg i Stockholm.[60] [The hysteria arrived in Sweden when a flash mob danced to Gangnam Style at Sergels torg (a public central square) in Stockholm] |
Video performance on YouTube
| “ | The song is characterized by its strongly addictive beats and lyrics, and is thus certain to penetrate the foundations of modern philosophy. | ” |
—Gangnam Style's official music video description[62]
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About 47% of the views came from the United States, 7% from the United Kingdom, 6.8% from Canada and 4% from South Korea.[67] Andrew Ryan of The Globe and Mail wrote that in two months, with 130 million views, including its accompanying videos, it was the "fifth-biggest viral video in the history of the Internet."[68]
Oppa Is Just My Style
| "Oppa Is Just My Style" | ||||||
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| Single by PSY featuring Hyuna | ||||||
| Released | August 14, 2012[citation needed] | |||||
| Format | Music Video (CD single, digital download TBD) | |||||
| Genre | Hip house, electro house, Korean hip hop, K-Pop | |||||
| Label | YG, Universal Republic | |||||
| Writer(s) | Yoo Gun-hyung, Psy | |||||
| PSY featuring Hyuna singles chronology | ||||||
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| Music video | ||||||
| "Oppa Is Just My Style" on YouTube | ||||||
Impact
The music video for the song has gone viral and is considered by some to be an internet meme.[70] Hallie Sekoff of The Huffington Post quotes from the video's official YouTube video description that the song is characterized by its "strongly addictive beats", and writes that this is not too far-fetched, considering "how obsessed we’ve found ourselves."[71] During VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live show, the television host Carrie Keagan says that everyone in our office is "completely obsessed" with "Gangnam Style".[40][72]On August 16, 2012, Nelly Furtado performed the song at her concert in the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines.[73]
Ju-min Park of Reuters mentioned that "a few of South Korea's normally staid presidential candidates are imitating Psy's moves in an appeal to voters".[26] The Korea Tourism Organization has launched an ‘One day Gangnam tour’ that begins with some ‘gangnam styling’ at a beauty salon, shopping at the Apgujeong & Cheongdam boutiques, a quick luxury coffee and brunch, followed by the casino and clubbing.[75]
After the release of "Gangnam Style", the American talent manager Scooter Braun, who discovered Justin Bieber on YouTube, asked on Twitter "How did I not sign this guy (Psy)".[67] Soon afterwards, it was reported that Psy had left for Los Angeles to meet with representatives of Justin Bieber, to explore collaboration opportunities.[7][48] On September 3, Braun made a public accouncement that was later uploaded onto YouTube, saying that he and Psy have decided to "make some history together. [To] be the first Korean artist to break a big record in the United States." On September 4, it was confirmed that Psy was signed to Braun's Schoolboy Records.[76]
Social influence
One of the main factors that have led to "Gangnam Style's" receiving worldwide media attention is its popularity among notable celebrities. According to The Wall Street Journal, T-Pain was among the first to have "sent [the video] to the stratosphere" when he tweeted about it on July 29.[77] It was then picked up by Neetzan Zimmerman from the social blog Gawker, who asked "Did this underground Hip Hop artist from South Korea just release the Best Music Video of the Year?"[78] on July 30.Here is a non-exhaustive list of celebrities who have mentioned about it so far:
| Date | Celebrity | Quote | Source | Retweets (Sep 2012) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-07-28 | Robbie Williams | P.S. Try watching this and not smiling I dare you....(Not even a lip curl)[79][80] | Personal blog | N/A |
| 2012-07-29 | T-Pain | Words cannot even describe how amazing this video is.[16][81] | Twitter account | 2446 |
| 2012-07-31 | Josh Groban | It's a Gangnam Style world, we're just living in it. Amazing video.[82][83] | Twitter account | 1102 |
| 2012-08-21 | Katy Perry | Help, I'm in a Gangnam Style K-hole[84][50] | Twitter account | 12,745 |
| 2012-08-28 | Vanessa Hudgens | I am so amazingly obsessed. GANGNAM STYLE! Yeahhhha[85] | Personal blog/website | N/A |
| 2012-08-28 | Britney Spears | I am LOVING this video – so fun! Thinking that I should possibly learn the choreography. Anybody wanna teach me?! haha[86][87] | Twitter account | 4,573 |
| 2012-09-04 | Tom Cruise | Think @psy_oppa (Psy) would make a good future co-star Gangnam Style?[88] | Twitter account | 1,940 |
| 2012-09-06 | Ryan Seacrest | 60 yr old mom and her son dancing to Gangnam Style. She's better than him[89] | Twitter account | 452 |
| 2012-09-07 | LMFAO | Check out #PartyRock .... Gangnam Style![90][91] | Twitter account | 1,842 |
| 2012-09-14 | Scooter Braun | it's spreading.. @justinbieber (Justin Bieber) just called and yelled "GANGNAM STYLE!" haha.[92] | Twitter account | 5,546 |
| 2012-09-14 | James Corden | I am so into Gangnam Style its insane![93] | Twitter account | 1,717 |
| 2012-09-18 | Darren Criss | Could not be more proud of the human race that PSY's Gangnam Style is one of the biggest things in the world right now.[94] | Twitter account | 2,337 |
Parodies and reaction videos
The rapidly growing popularity and international recognition of the video has spawned many user generated videos, including reaction videos and parodies. Some of the videos have received international media recognition:- According to The Wall Street Journal, the Canadian couple Simon and Martina Stawski from the video blog Eatyourkimchi were among the first to review and do a parody of "Gangnam Style" on July 23, 2012,[95] before T-Pain's tweet[81] on July 29 "sent it into the stratosphere."[77]
- The Oregon Duck – Gangnam Style Parody[96] was featured in USA Today.[97]
- Teens react to Gangnam Style,[98] produced by the Fine Brothers. Jeff Yang of the Wall Street Journal wrote, "Ha ha, the Fine Bros. got around to exposing PSY on their panel of unsuspecting adolescents. Turns out, however, that most of them already listen to K-pop."[13]
- Hongdae Style,[99] a parody by Trend Factory, was mentioned by The Wall Street Journal as one of five must-see Gangnam Style response videos.[31]
- Pyongyang Style,[100] a parody that "mocks North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il", is mentioned by Kate Stanton of United Press International.[101]
- PSY Gangnam Style MV Reaction,[102] by K-Pop bloggers Katie and Mindy Anderson. Evan Ramstad of the The Wall Street Journal writes that "The Andersons’ reaction video is fun because of their spontaneity, laughter and creeping realization of what’s going on."[103]
- Idol group SHINHWA also showed their interests in Psy's "Gangnam Style" (especially lead vocalist Shin Hye Sung) with the members dancing to the "horse-riding choreography" repeatedly on episode 24 of their own variety show "SHINHWA Broadcast", which was aired by jTBC.[104]
- Gangnam Style Meets Metal,[105] by Eric Calderone, was mentioned in the Daily Mirror, a British national newspaper.[106]
- Gangnam Style – USNA Spirit Spot,[107] by sailors from the United States Naval Academy, was reviewed by the Britsh national tabloid newspaper Daily Mail. It wrote, "A lot of work has clearly gone into mimicking Psy's dance moves, which they pull off better than some dubious lip-syncing."[108] A spokesman from the United States Naval Academy said that "The video is creative and humorous, but it also took a lot of planning and teamwork", and added that although it was filmed at the academy and several participants wore their uniforms, the production did not violate any rules or regulations.[109] and Psy Gangnam Style GW Lacrosse ",[110]
- Presidents Race PSY Gangnam Style during the Presidents Race,[111] and Psy Gangnam Style GW Lacrosse ",[112] by members of the women’s lacrosse team from George Washington University, appeared in The Washington Post[113][114]
- Lifeguard Style, performed by a group of lifeguards from El Monte, California. They were released from official duties after they did a parody of "Gangnam Style" using the city's swimming pool.(See El Monte lifeguards incident)
- On August 31, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Leno shows parody video footage of US presidential candidate Mitt Romney making his entrance at the Republican National Convention.[115]
El Monte lifeguards incident
In mid-September 2012, 14 lifeguards from El Monte, California were released from official duties after they uploaded "Lifeguard Style," a parody of "Gangnam Style," using the city's swimming pool at the El Monte Aquatic Center. The part-time and seasonal employees were immediately fired for violating contracts that stipulate an employee "cannot use any city property for his/her own private benefit." [116] and "the city holds all employees to a higher standard."[117]Some of the lifeguards who only appeared in the background, but did not actively participate, were also fired. A Facebook page created by the lifeguards, titled "Bring Back the 14 El Monte Lifeguards", had won the support of more than 11,000 fans within a few days.[118] In an interview on 97.1 AMP Radio with Carson Daly, Psy called the incident a “tragedy” and added that the city officials "were taking things too seriously".[119] On September 14, Psy appeared on MTV News and left a message for El Monte's mayor Andre Quintero: "I'm begging you to not fire please, because they were enjoying their souls with some other cultures and it was even off duty."[120]
El Monte's city council will decide on this issue during their next meeting on September 18.
Appearances
On August 20, Psy posted on Twitter "Bringing #GANGNAM STYLE to the Dodgers – Giants game this evening". That evening, he performed his dance moves from "Gangnam Style" at Dodger Stadium in front of 43,000 baseball fans. The Los Angeles Dodgers posted a video on its official homepage titled "PSY Dance Cam". The one and a half minute video clip shows fans dancing "Gangnam Style" and then shows Psy, who waves and then does the dance.[121]On August 22, Psy also appeared on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live show, and taught television hosts Carrie Keagan and Jason Dundas how to dance "Gangnam Style".[40][72]
The September 15 season premiere episode of Saturday Night Live featured a sketch based on the song and its video. Bobby Moynihan portrayed Psy, but was joined mid-sketch by Psy himself.[126]
Flash mobs
A "Gangnam Style" flash mob event, sponsored by the South Korean broadcasting and entertainment company Mnet Media, was held in Pasadena, California,[127] and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has reported about the presence of "Gangnam Style" flash mobs in Sydney.[128]
...it has taken over the world,
it has taken over the Internet,
and now it's time for it to take over Times Square
it has taken over the Internet,
and now it's time for it to take over Times Square
“
”
A "Gangnam Style" flash mob in front of the Obelisco de Buenos Aires national monument in Argentina was shown on the national news programme Antes del Mediodía.[132]
Through social networks like Facebook, many other small, unofficial fan-organized flash mobs have also taken place in various places including: 800 at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Jakarta,[133] hundreds of Silpakorn University students in Thailand,[134] a flash mob at a food court in Sweden,[135] more than 100 Cornell University students in Ithaca, New York,[136] inside the Mariscal López shopping mall in Asunción, Paraguay,[57] at Alexanderplatz in Berlin,[137] at a K-Pop cover dance festival in Warsaw,[138] at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota,[139] and at a Gay pride parade in Stockholm.[54]
Advertisements by Samsung
On September 7, the South Korean multinational conglomerate Samsung announced that Psy would be one of the new faces promoting its Zipel line of refrigerators.[140] A commercial was recently released featuring Psy and the K-Pop singer Lee Seung-gi dancing to the music of "Gangnam Style" in front of an Internet refrigerator. [141]Chart performance
The song debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 for the week of July 28, 2012.[142] "Gangnam Style" then topped the chart the week after,[8] and has remained at number 1 for five weeks.[143] The song has also peaked on Billboard's YouTube Music Chart at number 1.[144] On August 21, 2012, "Gangnam Style" officially charted number 1 on the iTunes Music Video Charts, overtaking Justin Bieber's "As Long as You Love Me" and Katy Perry's "Wide Awake"; this feat is the first for any South Korean artist.[145] In South Korea the song was an instant success selling 745,000 downloads in its first week and remains atop the Gaon Single Chart for five consecutive weeks since debut. As of August 23, the song was downloaded over 2,545,837 times in South Korea alone. In Finland, "Gangnam Style" peaked at number 1 on the official download chart.[146]In the United States, "Gangnam Style" debuted at number 74 on Billboard Hot Digital Songs with 23,000 downloads sold in the week ending of September 8, 2012. Two weeks later, the song reached number 25 on the chart with 61,000 downloads.[147] The song also debuted at number 23 on Heatseeker Songs in the same week. On the issue date of September 22, it became the second K-Pop song to enter the Hot 100 behind the Wonder Girls' "Nobody" in 2009 and the highest-charting ever at number 64. In the same week, "Gangnam Style" debuted on the Billboard Pop Songs at number 28.[147] As of August 31, 2012[update], Gangnam Style had sold 97,000 downloads in the US.[148]
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[149] | 7 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)[150] | 52 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[151] | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 40 Wallonia)[152] | 47 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[153] | 16 |
| Czech Republic (IFPI)[154] | 31 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[155] | 1 |
| Finland (Official Finnish Download Chart)[156] | 1 |
| France (SNEP)[157] | 97 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[158] | 6 |
| Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)[159] | 2 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ)[160] | 4 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[161] | 19 |
| South Korea (Gaon Digital Singles)[162] | 1 |
| South Korea (Billboard K-Pop Hot 100)[8] | 1 |
| Sweden (DigiListan)[163] | 12 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[164] | 31 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[165] | 37 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[166] | 64 |
| US Pop Songs (Billboard)[167] | 28 |
| US Heatseeker Songs (Billboard) [168] | 2 |
| US Social 50 (Billboard) [169] | 1 |
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