You may or may not want to remember him, but there are few chances if you’re reading this that you’re unaware of Psy and his inescapable 2012 smash single, “Gangnam Style.” The song’s video became the first clip on YouTube to cross the billion views mark, and the press surrounding that accomplishment helped the song find incredible traction at top 40 radio, confirming the arrival of K-Pop in the United States. Whether or not Psy will ever find that kind of success again is anyone’s guess as he’s the first person to ever do what he did, but one thing we know for certain is that his follow-up single is a definite misfire that leaves you feeling more disappointed than entertained.

“Gentleman” found its way online today accompanied by an extremely colorful music video that, of course, features a new dance hoping to spark a viral craze similar to “Gangnam Style.” Contrary to the title, Psy is anything but a gentleman in the video, spending the clip pulling pranks on gorgeous women in various situations. This may seem like a hilarious concept, and to be honest it does start off that way, but things quickly turn to stupid and get worse from there. At one point he farts into his hand and then uses that same cupped hand to cover a woman’s face while she’s sitting in a library, and that’s before the first verse comes to an end.

The chorus, which musically falls flat, is the point in the video where we see the new dance, which can be likened to a “Gangnam Style” for lethargic people. It’s slightly more subtle, focusing on hip movement over the full body gyration of the predecessor, but the idea of anyone using such moves in real life is ridiculous nonetheless. It’s good for a chuckle the first few times, but quickly starts feel like tired (and familiar) territory.

The worst part of “Gentleman” however, has absolutely nothing to do with the video itself. Even if you didn’t care for “Gangnam Style,” its popularity on the Billboard charts made sense when played alongside the equally EDM-influenced pop songs from established artists currently in rotation, but “Gentleman” lacks the catchiness of “Gangnam” and the underwhelming visuals do little to help it stick with you after your initial discovery experience.

If the music industry has gone from being a business about album sales to one concerned solely about singles, then “Gentleman” should be considered Psy’s Sophomore slump. That said, he’s been creating music for two decades without US popularity, and I highly doubt a failed single in the states will make him want to stop anytime soon. Oh, and I wasn’t kidding about the whole crying in space thing. Check out this gif taken from a video of astronaut Chris Hadfield showing what it looks like to cry while aboard a space shuttle:

You can stream and view the video for “Gentleman” above. Will this be the next viral sensation? After you listen to the song and watch the video, comment and let us know your thoughts on Psy’s staying power here in the US.

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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