“PSY paved the way”: BTS’ SUGA talks about Gangnam Style's impact in the US

For BTS’ SUGA, Gangnam Style creator and sunbae PSY paved the way for K-pop in the US. In That That Full Interview, the Daechwita rapper shared that the explosive success of PSY's 2012 hit made the spread of K-pop easier for them.

He added that he had been a fan of the Gangnam Style artist ever since he was little and dreamt of collaborating with him one day.

Saying that the world was hyped when PSY revealed the title track of his first comeback in five years, PSY 9th, with SUGA as the producer, is an understatement.

That That (prod. Feat. SUGA of BTS) probably became the most thrilling collaboration in the history of K-pop as two industry legends came together to work on the track. The world-famous artists talked about the collaboration’s inception and their support for each other in the video.

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BTS’ SUGA talks about being PSY’s fan, his impact, and more

On May 6, PSY released a full interview video on his YouTube account with behind-the-scenes moments of him rehearsing and recording with BTS’ SUGA. In the video, the two K-pop legends also shared how they were inspired by one another and loved working with each other.

The Agust D rapper started talking about being grateful to PSY for breaking into the US industry with K-pop.

“He was always someone I was grateful for with ‘Gangnam Style,’ he paved the way for K-pop in the US, that we were able to follow his footsteps with ease.”

SUGA reminisced about BTS' early stardom in the US. He reflected on how he wished to meet PSY as he would have known how to handle massive success and pressure.

“When we started gaining traction in the States in 2017, he was someone I really wanted to meet up with. Thought it would be great to get some advice when I was going through a tough time.”

The video then cuts to the Gangnam Style artist remembering his explosive success in 2012 and 2013. He shared that although it was the happiest moment of his life, it was also the most anxious. He said that he understood what BTS was going through when watching them break into the mainstream music industry in 2017.

As for BTS' SUGA, the rapper has always been inspired by the K-pop legend. Before going big with Gangnam Style, PSY was already an icon in the Korean music industry.

“I was a huge fan ever since I was little. I grew up listening to his music. I thought, if I become a successful musician, I’ll be able to rub shoulders with artists like him.”

The rest of the video showcased the adorable camaraderie between the two. It had moments where PSY called BTS’ SUGA “a unique friend” while the latter said working with PSY “was like working with an old childhood friend,” despite being 15 years apart in age.