Can Psy pelvic thrust his way back to "Gangnam Style" success? That seems to be the strategy behind the South Korean singer's followup video, "Gentleman," which has gathered 32 million views on YouTube since Saturday. It once again features Psy dancing and wreaking havoc across South Korea, and thrives off of the singer's dance moves and goofy charisma. That blend of humor and catchy beats helped "Gangnam Style" become the first video to pass 1 billion views on YouTube, and played a major part in bringing K-Pop to the US.
Repeating the tricks of "Gangnam Style" may not make for a video that's as eminently appealing and GIF-able, however. The video features Psy pulling immature pranks on women, but his over-the-top interactions don't come off as humorously self-aware in "Gentleman" as they do in "Gangnam Style." It's ostensibly parodying these crude interactions, but oddly concludes both with Psy getting his comeuppance and simultaneously finding romance. There's certainly an appeal to watching these antics, but "Gentleman" has a long way to go before matching Psy's earlier success.