Psy mulls awkward title for Gangnam Style followup

Singer says South Korean slang could be misunderstood as a slur

The Associated Press

Posted: Mar 19, 2013 10:46 AM ET

Last Updated: Mar 19, 2013 1:32 PM ET

South Korean rapper PSY, seen in February performing South Korean President Park Geun-hye's inauguration ceremony in Seoul, plans to change the title and some lyrics to his next song. (Lee Jin-man/Associated Press)

PSY says he will change the title and lyrics of his potential Gangnam Style follow-up over worries it could offend Arabs.

The announced title for the song can be written as "Assarabia" or "Assaravia" in English. It's slang used by South Koreans to express thrills. It suggests no ethnicity or body part, but worries have risen that Arabs might misinterpret the title and find it derogatory.

PSY said Monday on a South Korean social media website that he has decided to change the title. Some lyrics also will change.

After several Korean albums, PSY has promised future work in English but it isn't clear when. The Gangnam Style video with its catchy tune and much-imitated horse-riding dance has a record 1.44 billion views on YouTube since July.

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