Gangnam Style—The Differences in Social Classes Hidden in Melody

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Gangnam Style—The Differences in Social Classes Hidden in Melody
Wealthy and beautiful women are a catch anywhere they go—be it on the simple streets, pretentious light districts, or the most sophisticated areas. As a matter of fact, Acuna discussed that one of the most renowned Korean solo pop stars in the name of Park Jae-Sang, more commonly known as PSY, noticed these wealthy and beautiful women in the Gangnam District and sang a song about it together with an exciting and appealing choreography that quivered the general public—the Gangnam Style. This song was not just dedication, but it has a deeper meaning that can be analyzed in detail by a systematic evaluation of its message, unique characteristic, and structure.
Gangnam Style was described as a trivial, satirical, and absurd song that focused on the women of Gangnam. The lyrics were quite illogical and did not seem to tackle a deep subject at first glance. Moreover, the lack of seriousness in the tone was coupled with a funny dance move, making it look nonsensical CITATION Acu12 \l 1033 (Acuna). PSY soon gained worldwide popularity due to this song, and the meaning of the song became even more superficial for the general public after knowing the singer-rapper’s background. This includes the fact that he had a unique taste in Korean Music, with the preference for vulgar lyrics and bold dance moves, and his jail history when he was imprisoned in 2001, secondary to the use of Marijuana CITATION The22 \l 1033 (The Famous People).
Regardless of the mentioned controversies, meticulous song analysis revealed the song’s deeper meaning instead of the song’s national and international reputation. The song talks about social classes and how higher social standing allows individuals to afford the luxuries that those who belong to the lower social classes could not. The song also implies that those who belong to the higher social classes should only be partnered with the same or almost the same classes of people, leaving marginalized societies. Lastly, the song suggests that most affluent people in Korea live in Gangnam, making the famous phrase the “Gangnam Style.”
Luxury and the way the rich operate were pronounced in all of the song’s verses. The first verse described the sophistication of a girl with extravagant wealth. The English lyric translation of the first verse goes,
A girl who is warm and humanly during the dayA classy girl who know how to enjoy the freedom of a cup of coffeeA girl whose heart gets hotter when night comesA girl with that kind of twist. (Acuna)
The first verse demonstrates that wealthy women have the luxury of time to sit down, relax, and enjoy a morning cup of coffee, as these women have no work to do in their everyday routine other than to become pretty regardless of the situation. Moreover, th...