In a recent appearance on YouTube’s “Nattering with Nah”, PSY opened up about his most beloved song, surprising fans by naming a lesser-known track: “It’s Art” (예술이야) from 2010.
“That’s my number one favorite song by a landslide,” PSY declared, adding, “Even now, I think to myself, ‘How did I write such a song without knowing a thing about music theory?'”
Although “It’s Art” was never promoted as a title track, it found its way into the hearts of fans organically. PSY described it as “word-of-mouth song”, passed from person to person without any formal marketing. Over time, it earned a permanent spot as the closing number at his concerts. “For the last 3 to 4 years, I’ve been ending my shows with it, and it feels perfectly natural,” he said.
When producer Na Young-seok compared the song’s unexpected success to a top student who studied on their own and never attended cram school, PSY laughed and agreed, stating, “Songs like ‘Paradise’ and ‘What Would Have Been’ also became popular on their own. I didn’t promote them at all.”
Meanwhile, when asked whether any songs he did promote flopped, PSY confidently replied that that would be unfortunate, but it didn’t happen to him.
PSY also touched on his legendary summer concert series, “SUMMERSWAG” (흠뻑쇼), calling it a “miraculous sight every time.” Inspired by the energy of World Cup street cheering, he created the show to bring fans together in an outdoor, water-drenched party environment.
“When people from places where concerts are rare still make the trip, it’s deeply moving,” the male singer said. He also emphasized that beyond the spectacle, it’s the fundamentals like sound, lighting, that make a show truly complete. “Special effects like fire or water are just the toppings,” he noted, before adding that facilities for the audience, such as restrooms, also needed to be considered top priority.
Running annually since 2011, the “SUMMER SWAG” concert of PSY kicked off in late June this year and is set to tour nine cities across South Korea, including Uijeongbu, Daejeon, Gwacheon, Sokcho, Suwon, Daegu, Busan, and Gwangju, for a total of 16 shows.