"Gangnam Style" is a Korean language colloquialism that refers to a luxurious lifestyle associated with the Gangnam district, an affluent and trendy area of Seoul. Gangnam style is since widely associated with the posh lifestyle in Seoul, South Korea's district where people are trendy, hip and exude a certain "swag". In an interview, PSY compares Gangnam to Beverly Hills in the United States.
When "Gangnam Style" was first released on July 15, 2012, it was known only to fans of K-pop, and in particular those of Psy's record label the South Korean management agency YG Entertainment. However, K-Pop fans started to share it on social networks like Facebook and Twitter and it was not long before internet users outside the K-Pop community began to notice it. Soon, even celebrities in and outside the United States tweeted about "Gangnam Style", which triggered a snowball effect.