Peggy Gou is The World’s No.1 House DJ in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs 2023.
Taking home the title for the very first time, as well as rising to No.9 in this year’s poll, South Korea’s Peggy Gou has well and truly hit the mainstream. She’s never been one for a heavy release schedule, but when Gou is ready to drop a track, it’s a moment in the electronic music calendar. This year, however, she took things further, releasing the lead single for her up-coming debut album bang in the middle of festival season. Because of ‘(It Goes Like) Nanana’, Gou is now known to a wider audience.
To celebrate the single release, Gou organised a flashmob in London’s Soho, giving fans just two hours to head to central London — they packed out the square in no time. “There’s a feeling we all know but is hard to describe, that feeling of love, warmth and excitement when you’re surrounded by friends and loved ones and the energy speaks for itself,” Gou said around the time of the single’s release. “It’s difficult to put into words but to me it goes ‘nanana!’ I want this song to evoke that nanana feeling!”
She’s also had a busy touring schedule, too. Aside from fashion show appearances and record store pop-ups, Gou played Sonar, Lollapalooza, Creamfields, Lost Village and even made time for round four of her Pleasure Gardens day festival. Label life also proved healthy. Her Gudu imprint began as an outpost for Gou’s own productions — ‘Starry Night’, the first release, was an instant monster hit — but Gou has now made it a home for South Korean artists like Mogwaa, South African producers like Riff, and Brain de Palma, who hails from Ukraine.
1.3 million votes were counted from 237 countries in this year’s Top 100 DJs poll. You can see the full Top 100 DJs list here.