‘Gangnam Style’ singer Psy has responded to Billie Joe Armstrong, after the Green Day frontman called him “musical herpes”.

Armstrong made the comments via his Instagram account yesterday afternoon (May 9), posting a picture of Psy alongside the caption: “This dude is the herpes of music. Once you think it’s gone, it comes back. #herpes #flareup #pleasegoaway”. Asked by Fuse how he felt about the insult, Psy admitted that he didn’t know what herpes was.

Once Psy had it explained to him that herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that is hard to get rid of and often comes back when the person affected thinks it has gone away, the K-pop star responded: “I kinda like it, it’s cool. So he’s saying I’m like herpes? I should say something to him. What was his name? Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, he’s saying I’m like herpes, it keeps coming back. I think it’s really cool and I appreciate that. Thank you.”


Armstrong is a frequent user of Instagram but has rarely used it to pass comment on other musicians, preferring instead to share pictures of his bandmates and on-the-road updates.

Last month, Psy put out his new single ‘Gentleman’, the follow up to his YouTube hit ‘Gangnam Style’. The video for the track has been banned by a broadcaster in his native South Korea, who blacklisted the singer for kicking a cone that says “no parking”, explaining that the scene didn’t meet its standards.

Meanwhile, Green Day played their first major live show since Billie Joe Armstrong’s onstage breakdown and subsequent stint in rehab at SXSW earlier this year. The band took to the stage at Austin’s Moody Theater, one of the biggest venues being used for this year’s South By Southwest festival.