K-Pop Record
Psy's 'Gangnam Style' Reaches Historic 6 Billion YouTube Views, First K-Pop Video to Do So
Anonymous
Key Points
1
The 6 billion views milestone was reached on July 17, 2026, in the afternoon, according to P Nation.
2
Gangnam Style was the first YouTube video to surpass 1 billion views, achieving this on December 21, 2012.
3
The video spent seven consecutive weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest ranking ever for a Korean artist on that chart, which began including YouTube views in February 2013.
4
The Summerswag 2026 tour comprises 14 shows across nine cities, kicking off in Uijeongbu on June 27, with additional stops including Daegu, Incheon, Gwacheon, Wonju, Suwon, Gwangju, Busan and Daejeon.
5
Psy told fans on stage at Gwacheon that he will upload a video on YouTube to thank viewers for 6 billion views.
Psy's "Gangnam Style" has crossed 6 billion views on YouTube, becoming the first K-pop music video to reach the milestone, according to Korea Herald. The feat arrived on July 17, 2026 — nearly 14 years after the video first dropped in July 2012.
Soompi noted the video is also the first by any Asian artist to hit 6 billion views. The record adds another chapter to what is already one of the most remarkable runs in internet history.
From 1 Billion to 6 Billion: A Record-Breaking Journey
"Gangnam Style" was the first YouTube video ever to hit 1 billion views, crossing that mark on December 21, 2012 — just five months after release. At the time, no one had seen a video move that fast. It rewrote what viral truly meant.
The video also spent seven straight weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Zapzee. That remains the highest position any Korean artist has ever reached on the chart. Billboard began counting YouTube views in February 2013, and "Gangnam Style" immediately benefited from the change.
Psy Celebrates the Milestone Live on Stage
Psy learned of the 6 billion mark while on his Summerswag 2026 tour. He was performing in Gwacheon when news of the milestone came through. He told the crowd he would upload a YouTube video to thank fans for pushing the view count to 6 billion, Soompi reported.
The Summerswag 2026 tour runs 14 shows across nine cities in South Korea. It kicked off in Uijeongbu on June 27. Stops include Daegu, Incheon, Gwacheon, Wonju, Suwon, Gwangju, Busan, and Daejeon. The tour shows Psy is still drawing crowds more than a decade after his biggest hit.
How Gangnam Style Opened the Door for K-Pop Globally
When "Gangnam Style" went viral in 2012, most Western listeners had never heard of K-pop. The song and its horse-dance video changed that almost overnight. It gave the genre its first real foothold in global pop culture, Korea Herald noted.
The 6 billion view mark is a symbol of that lasting impact. Groups like BTS and Blackpink followed in Psy's wake, turning K-pop into a worldwide industry. But "Gangnam Style" was the spark that started it all.
What 6 Billion Views Actually Looks Like
Six billion is a hard number to picture. It is roughly 75% of the entire world's population watching the video once. YouTube's total user base is about 2.7 billion people — meaning the average YouTube user would have had to watch "Gangnam Style" more than twice to reach this count.
P Nation, Psy's label, announced the milestone and highlighted its significance in K-pop history, according to Korea Herald. With the Summerswag tour still running and a thank-you video planned, Psy shows no signs of letting the moment pass quietly.
Sentiment
Mostly PositiveNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
11
Articles
1
Reach
12
A
AnonymousAuthor