Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 01/01/2013 at 10:56 AM News

The Popdust Files: gangnam style, hammer, New Year's Eve, PSY

If this was it for “Gangnam Style,” we wouldn’t have changed a thing. Psy has hinted that his New Year’s Eve performance of the global smash just might be his final, and if so, he went out with typical gusto, wearing a white fur jacket, screaming at the audience for participation, and of course, bringing his old AMAs pal MC Hammer back for a little “2 Legit 2 Quit” detour. The K-pop star also celebrated his 35th birthday on the day, with the ABC Rockin’ Eve crew even leading the Times Square mob in a loud wish of “HAPPY BIRTHDAY PSY!” (No “Happy Birhtday” song? Whatever.)

Thus endeth the year in “Gangnam Style.” It was weird, it was wonderful, and against all odds, we never really got sick of it. We’re grateful to have experienced such an odd and rewarding chapter in our culture’s history, and we can only hope that 2013 is dominated by a similarly wondrous pop phenomenon. Hey, maybe it’ll be Psy all over again—who knows what he and Hammer are cooking up for this year?