KUALA LUMPUR: The recently-concluded 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea featured some inspiring performances from K-Pop big wigs like EXO and CL during the closing ceremony.
Popular K-Pop titan Psy was glaringly absent for the live show which had got people talking.
In an interview yesterday on South Korean tbs FM’s radio show Kim Eo Jun’s News Factory, the director of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympic event, Song Seung Hwan, was asked about the matter.
According to Soompi, the radio host first shared: “There was a lot of talk saying, ‘While there are many internationally famous singers, wouldn’t Psy appear based on his recognition?’ A lot of people asked why Psy didn’t perform (at the ceremonies).”
Then Song explained that, “I met with Psy. However, he himself was burdened by the thought of continuing to perform Gangnam Style. Instead, we included Gangnam Stylebwhen the athletes were entering during the opening ceremony. For that, Psy said he would personally arrange the music, so (the track used) was one arranged by Psy himself.”
After being asked if Psy had declined an offer to perform, Song answered: “That’s right. He said that he was highly-criticised during the Asian Games.” Psy was one of the performers during the 2014 Asian Games opening ceremony.
“I think it’s quite difficult, being a celebrity. If they perform at some event, people criticise them saying, ‘Why did they appear?,’ and if they don’t appear, they’re criticised for not appearing,” he said about Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang.
The 40-year-old singer-songwriter, record producer and rapper became a household name worldwide after his song Gangnam Style became an international hit.
It was reported in Korea Times that Psy earned more than US$40 million (RM156.4 million) in 2012 through various activities related to the monster hit song.
The Gangnam Style music video has since been touted as the third most-viewed video on YouTube with over 3 billion views to date.
Hailed as the first K-pop artiste to successfully break into the Western music industry, Psy released his eighth and latest studio album last year.