(YG Entertainment)

Global K-pop star Psy will release a new full-length album in May, according to his agency on Friday.

“Psy has been preparing for the new album for a year. The exact date of release has not yet been confirmed but he is slated to drop the album sometime in May,” YG Entertainment said.

The artist also finished filming two music videos for the songs, which will be featured in the upcoming album, according to the agency.

This will mark his return to the spotlight after an 18-month hiatus since the release of his seventh studio album “Chiljip Psy-da” which included the double lead tracks “Daddy” and “Napal Baji.”

(YG Entertainment)

The singer debuted in 2001 with his first full-length album “Psy from the Psycho World!” which could not be sold to minors due to the vulgarity of the lyrics.

Since 2012, Psy has been enjoying high international popularity and fame with his hit songs such as “Gangnam Style,” “Gentleman” and “Hangover.”

On Nov. 24, 2012, Psy set a YouTube record with “Gangnam Style” for drawing over 800 million hits. This has been the most-viewed video on the global video sharing platform, which has attracted more than 2.8 billion views as of 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Meanwhile, “Gentleman” has drawn over one billion hits and “Daddy” has surpassed 250 million views.

By Jie Ye-eun (yeeunjie@heraldcorp.com)