I know to parallel sets of lyrics for almost all top 80s disco and soul songs: one actual, and one misheard, from when I was a child and didn't speak English.
Only a few years ago I heard my all time favorite song growing up, except I now realize it's a female singer! Tracy Chapman tapes were very popular in Somalia, and I don't think any of us realized Mr Chapman was, in fact, a woman.
Even when we have seen her pictures! She might have even looked "manlier" than most androgynous stars of that time.
Perhaps Gangnam Style is more of a novelty in the English-speaking countries, where foreign pop music is uncommon, than in those countries where it is common: Italian teenagers might not care that much whether it is in Korean or English, whereas English teenagers will notice that they are dancing to a song whose lyrics they cannot possibly understand.
I'm a European and unless I focus, the lyrics of English songs just blends in with the instruments. The song has no meaning unless I want it to. But when I hear other languages, it's hard not to notice that I don't understand.
I am a European, and it depends on the country (and the age).
In a lot of European countries young people (up to 30+) have been taught English and they can follow an English song quite easily. Even in France, despite never admitting it in public. (This is especially true for music fans).
They might have some trouble with heavy stuff, like some lyric heavy Dylan songs or 500-wpm rap, but they can get most pop/dance songs alright.
Note that I didn't say that European teenagers wouldn't understand the English lyrics, but that they won't care that much about the language, if only because they are used to listening to music in other European languages.
That makes it seem as if English is the same as just another European language for a non English European. That is not really the case.
Most music and movie culture, especially for teenagers, is in fact English. Less often it's your own native language, and even more rarely (but still existant!) other European languages.
English is also the one non-native language you kind of learn automatically (unlike other languages we had to learn at school), due to being surrounded by it so much, and the internet.
Slightly off topic: When seeing one of the extremely rare movies made in my own country, I'm always surprised by how awesome it is to see something I actually can relate to, e.g. when they speak some juicy dialects or show some typical living room in a house as they look here. American movies always seem "fake" or something to me, and also always use the same dialect, but I wonder if for Americans they can actually relate to that just like I can relate to native movies of my own country :)
