3 Mai

The third album was released in September 2002 with a launch on an internet music site. The title of the album "3 Mai" means cheap. Unlike his previous albums, the lyrics were less explicit. Regarding the change, Psy commented that "3 Mai was intended as a project for taking a break, however, it should not be intended as a change of my personality." Lee Sun-hee, Kim Wan-sun, Park Mi-kyung, and Lee Jae-hoon of Cool featured in the album as vocals, as well as Park Jae-Eun, Psy's older sister. == Composition ==

The song "로얄패밀리 (Royal Family)" aims to criticize Korean marriage agencies which arrange meetings based on their academic credentials and wealth. The timely release, during Seoul's enthusiasm over the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and a title track "챔피언 (Champion)" with its "crowd-pumping vibe" which became "massively popular", confirmed his place in the Korean music world and on the K-pop scene. The title song "챔피언 (Champion)" was also inspired by Korean street cheering during the 2002 World Cup. ==Critical reception==

Paul Lester of The Guardian called "챔피언" a "thrashy disco" which heavily samples Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer". Jeff Benjamin of Billboard said, "'챔피언" is a funky dance track that uses video game-like synthesizers years before the EDM explosion. With self-empowering lyrics and the repeated title word in the chorus, the song doubled as an anthem for South Korea when they hosted the World Cup in Seoul that year." == Legacy ==

Psy continued to perform "챔피언" again and again throughout his career. At Park Geun-hye's 2013 Presidential Inauguration for a televised performance in front of the National Assembly he wore a black tuxedo with a bow tie and sunglasses and opened with "챔피언", followed by "Gangnam Style". In June 2014, he performed the song again, among eight, at a Seoul street concert of nearly 30,000, during celebrations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, when Korea tied Russia in the first round. He said, "The impassioned cheering of citizens inspired me to write 'Champion.' It's also a song that helped me continue my music career, which would have ended after a short run [if it weren't for 'Champion']. So even though 'Gangnam Style' was such a success, it can't be as dear to me as 'Champion,'" he said.' After clarification, many thought it an appropriate jab at convention, as Psy had studied in America and spoke English. ==Track listing==

Monthly charts Sales ==References==