I don’t speak Korean but most sources I could find say Oppa means ‘older brother’ but also women call their boyfriend oppa. Also Gangnam is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Seoul. Oppa Gangnam Style would mean Gangnam boyfriend or rich boyfriend or sugar daddy.
You’re pretty much there. Oppa is literally ‘older brother’ but is generally used towards a man who is older but within the same age-hierarchy bracket. It is a term exclusively used by women, except for when men are referring to themselves in the 3rd person from the perspective of women. As mentioned, women often call their boyfriend/husband oppa in casual environments.
The lyrics of the chorus is “오빤 강남 스타일” (“Oppan Gangnam Style”) where the ‘n’ after ‘oppa’ is like a contraction of “오빠는” (‘Oppa nun’ / “Oppa is”). Gangnam is a neighborhood in Seoul where literal 1%ers live. So he’s basically letting the women know he’s a wealthy/noteworthy/powerful guy, since he is ‘Gangnam Style’.
In truth, the way he describes himself and the women he chases are caricatures of South Korean wealth, materialism, and high-class identity. The video starts with him pretending to be at a beach, when the camera pans out it’s actually a sandlot for a playground. More examples of his phony elegance show up across the video, such as dancing on a tour bus and singing in a toilet stall. The lyrics of the song flaunt the lavish lives of the hyper-wealthy, while the imagery points out how trashy and narcissistic that kind of lifestyle can be.
Sorry for the rant, I just remember a lot of stuff I learned about it while writing a report in high school. I hope someone learned something :P
I don’t speak Korean but most sources I could find say Oppa means ‘older brother’ but also women call their boyfriend oppa. Also Gangnam is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Seoul. Oppa Gangnam Style would mean Gangnam boyfriend or rich boyfriend or sugar daddy.
You’re pretty much there. Oppa is literally ‘older brother’ but is generally used towards a man who is older but within the same age-hierarchy bracket. It is a term exclusively used by women, except for when men are referring to themselves in the 3rd person from the perspective of women. As mentioned, women often call their boyfriend/husband oppa in casual environments.
The lyrics of the chorus is “오빤 강남 스타일” (“Oppan Gangnam Style”) where the ‘n’ after ‘oppa’ is like a contraction of “오빠는” (‘Oppa nun’ / “Oppa is”). Gangnam is a neighborhood in Seoul where literal 1%ers live. So he’s basically letting the women know he’s a wealthy/noteworthy/powerful guy, since he is ‘Gangnam Style’.
In truth, the way he describes himself and the women he chases are caricatures of South Korean wealth, materialism, and high-class identity. The video starts with him pretending to be at a beach, when the camera pans out it’s actually a sandlot for a playground. More examples of his phony elegance show up across the video, such as dancing on a tour bus and singing in a toilet stall. The lyrics of the song flaunt the lavish lives of the hyper-wealthy, while the imagery points out how trashy and narcissistic that kind of lifestyle can be.
Sorry for the rant, I just remember a lot of stuff I learned about it while writing a report in high school. I hope someone learned something :P