Rain's Song Becomes Butt End of Endless Jokes

Pop star Rain's 2017 song "Gang" is experiencing renewed popularity on the Internet for all the wrong reasons.

The spectacularly cheesy and overproduced video, with its dimwitted lyrics including the monotonously repeated phrase "hundred-dollar bills" that also flashes across the screen for the hard of hearing, has now racked up 8.68 million views on YouTube.

But that is not because fans have suddenly rediscovered the fading idol's charms, but because a viral parody challenge is swamping social media.

The challenge was reportedly started by a schoolgirl and has resulted in some hilarious parodies. In one of the better ones, the performer comes into shot, not in a giant souped-up four-wheeler but on a flimsy bicycle, patiently awaits his cue, and falls flat on his face where Rain's original world suddenly tilts and sees him dancing sideways.

Poor Rain, once a global sensation for his dancing, singing and acting skills, has mostly tanked since the mid-2010s. But nobody imagined that his very loss of sheen would end up boosting his profile.

It remains to be seen whether his latest misfortune can be monetized and whether he can rise above it.