Let's get one thing out of the way: PSY may never make another "Gangnam Style." Such pop culture peaks are rarely achieved more than once in a lifetime and PSY has already planted his flag.
On his follow-up to the album that spawned that global phenomenon, Chiljip Psy-da (aka PSY 7th Album), PSY keeps the party going with a short nine-song collection of dancefloor fillers that is a pure blast of fun.
Opening with "Dance Jockey," a throbbing digital-robo-funk track for the TRON dimension, PSY just wants to keep you smiling and moving.
The driving disco fever of "Napal Baji" (translated as "Bell Bottoms," naturally) is replete with a horn section and enough euphoria to inspire a frenzy, while lead single, the bass-heavy "Daddy," comes closest to recapturing international levels of "Gangnam" fever.
In the song, hot femcee CL (2NE1) asks, "Where'd you get that body?" to which he proudly replies, "I got it from my daddy." In the video, PSY's face is digitally superimposed on a dad, a grandfather, and a little boy, creating a frantic multi-generational PSY dance-off.
Much of his charm derives from this cartoonish sense of humor, his self-deprecating honesty, and ability to have fun.
Moreso, PSY is important because of who he is: a doughy everyman who can bust a move like he was in a boy band, making more bank than the horde of pretty R&B boys in the K-pop realm.
In a scene that has trumped the Swedish hitmasters by literally making songwriting into a science and that values plastic-surgery perfection over artistic realness, it's refreshing to see its biggest international export looking like he could be your buddy from work.
There a handful of guest turns from his K-pop brethren, including R&B singer Zion.T, XIA of JYJ, revered rocker Jun In-Kwon, and Gaeko of Dynamic Duo.
PSY's American party-jam counterpart will.i.am also drops in for a particular Black Eyed Peas-y track, "ROCKnROLLbaby." Oddly enough, the album ends with PSY's booty-trap remix of Ed Sheeran and Pharrell's hit "Sing." It's a strange way to end an album that you'll want to put on repeat, but it'll keep the party going until PSY 8th drops.