Most Popular Male Singers Of 2012

Some have the good looks on their side; others have infectious rhythms or cheeky lyrics that are on the likes of all people. Some are talented, some are not, but they all share a common feature: they are the most popular male singers of 2012.

1. Psy

Who said you have to be handsome, sexy and talented to be successful? The 34-year-old rapper from South Korea proved that you don't have to be Justin Bieber to become viral overnight. Inn just six months, Psy turned from an anonymous low appraised Korean singer into an international star. When "Gangnam Style" and its video with all those bouncy moves and cheeky girls were released into the mainstream, thousands of people realized that they are not suffering from influenza, but from Psy-fever. The song was actually like a tsunami for the charts, especially for the Billboard Hot 100 and Psy's fulminating and sudden success earned him the MTV News title of Viral Star of 2012. Now, from preschoolers to grannies, heterosexuals and transsexuals, Christians and Hindi, anyone can dance on his rhythms. The U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised his music for helping to promote tolerance and his video became the most watched video on Youtube, beating out Bieber's video of "Baby". With "Gangnam Style" Psy closed the American Music Awards, was invited on "Saturday Night Live" show and "Today" show and inspired numerous parodies. His name is easy to remember and we will all remember him for a long time, especially since there are great chances to impress us with another major hit next year as he signed with Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun and his Schoolboy Records imprint.

2. Justin Bieber

Overthrown by Psy, Bieber lost his crown and his is not the critics' first pick for the most popular male singers of 2012. Nevertheless, he is still one of the most adored singers of the year and has every right to be so. This year, he released his third studio album, Believe, which marked the passage from adolescence to adulthood. He proved that he evolved and matured as an artist and performer, he hit the road on the Believe Tour, which further promoted the album that was already taking the number one position on the Billboard 200 and he worked really hard on an acoustic album that will see the daylight next month, in 2013.

3. Pitbull

He is as aggressive as the canine specie whose name he so proudly took as his. In 2012, Pitbull released his seventh studio album, Global Warming, which received positive international acclaim, embarked on a world tour and he received the key to the city of Kodiak, Alaska.

4. Chris Brown

His mistakes have been long forgiven, so the only things that count are his musical endeavors. In 2012, Brown won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and he released a new record, Fortune, which received mixed reviews and yet topped the Billboard 200, proving that his fans' tastes are more important than that of the critics. Besides, Brown made the headline of several tabloids this year. But whether it's his intake of cannabis, his new controversial tattoo, his community service or the violation of his probation, Brown is a name that makes magazines and tabloids sell and when this happens, his new album is also selling well.

Source by Jim Lyon