PSY - 7th Album

Track List:

1. Dance Jockey
2. I Remember You (Feat. Zion.T)
3. Bell Bottoms
4. DADDY (Feat. CL of 2NE1)
5. Dream (Feat. Junsu of JYJ)
6. ROCKnROLLbaby (Feat. will.i.am)
7. The Day Will Come (Feat. Jun In Kwon)
8. Ahjussi Swag (Feat. Gaeko of Dynamic Duo)
9. SING (PSYmix) (with Ed Sheeran)



Arguably the most well-known name in K-Pop (at least to the West), hitmaker Psy, best known for "Gangnam Style" and "Gentlemen," is back again with 9 new tracks. As may be apparent from the track list, the rapper has teamed with some of the biggest names in K-Pop and beyond.

Psy starts us off with the energetic synth-laden dance track "Dance Jockey." Largely a turn-your-brain-off song, the beats laid down here should get you on your feet and moving. The message, of course, is just to dance to the music.  



"I Remember You" is a soft pop number starring Zion.T. Featuring synth washes and Zion.T's pretty singing voice, the duo makes their way through this song of love and loss and memories. I like Psy's delivery here, altering the previous wild and crazy cadence to something more pulled back and reserved.

"Bell Bottoms" cranks it up once again, giving us jangly guitars and Psy's trademark delivery in a catchy party tune and probably the most enjoyable ode to a pair of pants that you'll ever hear. And yes, that's exactly what it is. He's singing about Bell Bottoms. But with some Latin-style horns and a body-moving beat, you won't care.  



Then we come to the title track "DADDY." Featuring loud synth blasts ripped straight from the club version of T-ara's "No. 9," this is an unrepentant, repetitive club banger. But anyone who knows me knows that I don't consider repetition a bad thing. This monster features multiple easy hooks, including CL's part: "Hey, where u get that body from?" Also Psy shouts in a couple parts like he's struggling to be heard above the music, and I haven't heard him that passionate since 2010's "Right Now." With CL, a danceable beat, and lines like "U be my curry, I will be ur rice" what's not to like?

PSY slows it down for "Dream." This tune benefits from the amazing sincere pipes of Junsu from JYJ. The tempo is one that Junsu excels at, and PSY once again reins in his raps, his delivery entirely appropriate to the tune. The angst-ridden tune is about missing a girl and dreaming about meeting her again.



Done with will.i.am, "ROCKnROLLbaby" helps the Black-Eyed Peas singer get the K-pop bug out of his system. Their raps blend well together in an electronic orgy dedicated to celebration. Amusingly, it sounds like he's actually saying "Rockn'raoul," which makes me smirk every time he says it. That lifts my mood because he says it a lot.

"The Day Will Come" features the legendary Jun In Kwon from Deulgukhwa, the band that at one time was dubbed "the Beatles of Korea." His voice has gained more character with age, and his performance is soul-searing, and Psy dials it down to deliver a rather morose-sounding rap -- he still keeps the time, and it lends itself well to the song, which is about getting the courage up to face the day.



"Ahjussi Swag" has Gaeko from Dynamic Duo, and together with Psy he completes another dynamic duo. The song is about an older gentleman trying to dress like he's younger and being unable to hide his age. The song is playful, the lyrics show him trying to be a lady killer and his wrinkles and body fat give him away. It's not meant to be serious, and it's not. It's also insanely catchy with awesome hooks.

"SING (PSYmix)" is a remix of Ed Sheeran's tune "Sing." The British folk-pop singer reveals that the MV for the original was  inspired by a karaoke night out with Psy. The rapper kicks it up a notch with sick lines and backing track reminiscent of the original tune, along with Sheeran's signature falsetto in the chorus. It's not a bad tune, but I just have to ask why?  



One thing I really like about Psy is his ability to alter his delivery. He's been at it for awhile so he's had time to perfect his craft. And while tracks like "Gangnam Style" go viral, they don't really show how versatile he is. And while the appeal of this album is largely danceability, this is still a really fun album to listen to. There are clever lyrics, massive hooks, and talented collaborators. If that's not enough for you, then what is?  

MV REVIEW - "DADDY"

Watch Psy play a little kid, himself, and his father, all at the same time!

In this mega-crazy MV, Psy outdoes himself as he trips from set to set disguised as an ahjussi, a child, and a flamenco dancer with a prodigious amount of chest hair. The music is high-intensity, as are the images, as head-nodding, arm-twitching imagery abounds. Throw in some amusing CGI and you have the makings of a wild ride.

To even begin to examine the standard parts of the video is to blunt its impact. Strange clothing? Check. Cool dance moves? Check. Everything from start to finish is played for laughs, and is even nuttier than any of his previous MVs.



He does a fine job here. While his face on the child's body was a bit creepy, he plays a scary-convincing old man, complete with gold teeth and a gross comb-over (and the award for the most creative use of a single sideburn goes to...). And it was nice to see CL, though I would have liked to see more.

And I think it's one of the more expensive looking MVs I've seen him in. Yes "Gangnam Style" took place in multiple locations, but it looked like they were just renting the space. Practically everything here looks as if it was built from the ground up, with the opulence that comes with a nice, cushy budget. This video is bereft of symbolism, a plot, or anything other than a really good time. And that's fine, because that's exactly what it was made for.

MV REVIEW - "BELL BOTTOMS"

 Check out Psy as he dances around in various wide-legged trousers in the MV for "Bell Bottoms!"

Much like the song, there's no real plot here. You can see Psy dance and strut from place to place as set facades fall on him to reveal a different set, and you can see flights of fancy as he becomes the subject of a game of Pop-up Pirate where scantily clad girls slide plastic swords into the barrel. Of course, Psy also dresses and dances in bell bottoms in every conceivable color and cut.

The dances are fun and designed to emphasize the styles with broad, expansive leg and hip movements and arms thrown out for good measure. Are they challenging? Unknown, but I think if you did that too much you'd be walking funny for awhile.

They manage to keep this MV kooky without resorting to the same tricks as "Daddy." It's as wacky as it can be without being slavish to a formula. And Psy changes clothes insanely quick. There must be 10+ outfits here, just for one guy! I don't want to see the budget for the rest of the cast. The song is energetic enough to be aurally satisfying, and there's so much going on here you won't want to blink. If more MVs were like this, well...okay, that could get stale quickly. But this is funny, a breath of fresh air among the sexy concepts and the tough poses. He's almost anti-kpop -- not sexy, and not serious. Psy seems to have fun with it and doesn't care what anyone else thinks. 

SEE ALSO: PSY faces villa seizure over unpaid fines, Later resolved