PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)

"PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)" (Japanese: ペンパイナッポーアッポーペン, Hepburn: Penpainappōappōpen) is a single by Pikotaro, a fictional singer-songwriter created and portrayed by Japanese comedian Daimaou Kosaka.[1][2] It was released as a music video on YouTube on 25 August 2016, and has since become a viral video. As of April 2023, the official video has been viewed more than 154 million times.[3] PPAP spawned parodies, and was hailed as the new "Gangnam Style" by various newspapers and online media.[4][5] The single itself reached number 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart. At the time of its release (with a duration of 0:45), it became the shortest single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, a record that was later broken by Kid Cudi's "Beautiful Trip" (0:37).[6] At the end of 2016, the song charted at number 6 on Japan Hot 100 Year-end Chart.

"PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)"
Single by Pikotaro
Released7 October 2016 (2016-10-07)
Recorded2016
GenreJ-pop, electro-pop, dance-pop, techno
Length0:45
LabelAvex Music Creative
Songwriter(s)Daimaou Kosaka
Producer(s)Daimaou Kosaka
Pikotaro singles chronology
"PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)"
(2016)		 "The Theme Song of Pikotaro"
(2016)
Music video
PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen) on YouTube

Background and composition

Kosaka, the creator of "PPAP", said in an interview that he came up with the song sitting in his house. He was listening to the tune when he picked up a pen to start writing. He thought about his background of being from Japan's biggest apple-producing region (Aomori Prefecture) as he also realized that he had an open can of pineapple slices on the table.[7]

The song is written in the key of C♯ minor with a common time tempo of 136 beats per minute. Pikotaro's vocals span from F♯3 to C♯5 in the song.[8]

Music video
Cosplayer of Pikotaro

The song originated as a music video released on YouTube on 25 August 2016. In the video, Pikotaro, dressed in a yellow snake/leopard animal print costume, dances around, and then sings English lyrics like "I have a pen, I have an apple. Uh! Apple pen" while making the gestures of holding the named items and combining them. The video's expense was about 100,000 yen.[7][9]

On 26 September, Pikotaro released a video on how to do the dance and the gestures.[10] On 27 October, Pikotaro posted a "long version" of the music video.[11]

On 17 November, Pikotaro made an appearance on the Japanese edition of Sesame Street, where he joined Elmo and Cookie Monster in singing their version of the song titled "CBCC (Cookie-Butter-Choco-Cookie)".[12][13]

Pikotaro has since revisited the compounding-words concept of PPAP in later music videos, such as the musically similar "Beetle Booon But Bean in Bottle (BBBBB)" [sic].[14]

Release

"PPAP", alongside three other works by Pikotaro, was released to digital storefronts through Avex Music Creative on 7 October 2016.[15] An instrumental version of the song was made available on 12 October 2016.[16]

Reception

Viral spread

The video accumulated about 1 million hits in its first month of play.[17] Kosaka remarked it was mostly popular among Japanese students.[7] On 27 September 2016, Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber shared the video on Twitter, captioning it as his "favorite video on the Internet".[17] The video had since gone viral, averaging over 1.5 million hits a day, and being touted as the new "Gangnam Style" by various newspapers and online media.[18][19][20] It has spawned many videos from people doing their own versions. On the YouTube music video charts it reached number 1,[21] and stayed there for three weeks in a row.[22] A PPAP Cafe in Tokyo was open for 20 days starting from 1 November 2016.[23]

COVID-19 pandemic

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pikotaro uploaded a remix of the song on 4 April 2020, titled "PPAP-2020." In the remix, Pikotaro pretends to combine his hands with soap, and repeats "Wash! Wash! Wash! Wash!" while pretending to wash his hands. In the end, he tells the viewers to "Pray for People And Peace."[24][25] In Mashin Sentai Kiramager, THE MOVIE: B-Bop Dream, Muryo Hakataminami, portrayed by Daimaou Kosaka sings PPAP to wake the Kiramagers.

Chart performance

The song debuted at number four on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 dated 22 October 2016.[26] The following week it climbed to number three[27] and the week after that it peaked at number two.[28] After dropping to number three, it topped the chart for the 14 November edition.[29]

The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States at number 77, and at 45 seconds in length, becoming the shortest song to chart in its history at the time. The previous shortest song was "Little Boxes" by The Womenfolk, which reached number 83 in 1964 and was 1 minute and 2 seconds in length.[30] The fact was recognized by Guinness World Records.[9][31] The song has since reappeared twice more, at number 82 for the week of 26 November, and 93 the week of 3 December.[22]

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (2016–2017) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[32] 5
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[33] 36
Hungary (Single Top 40)[34] 29
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[35] 1
South Korea International Singles (Gaon)[36] 22
US Billboard Hot 100[37] 77
US Billboard Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales[38] 37

Year-end charts
Charts (2016) Position
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[39][40] 6

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[41] Gold 100,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Catolico, Gianna Francesca (27 September 2016). "WATCH: Sway to the viral Japanese hit 'Pen Pineapple Apple Pen'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  2. Chen, Heather (27 September 2016). "How a 'Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen' earworm took over the internet". BBC. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  3. 公式ピコ太郎歌唱ビデオチャンネル (25 August 2016). "PPAP（Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen Official）ペンパイナッポーアッポーペン／PIKOTARO(ピコ太郎)". Retrieved 7 November 2016 – via YouTube.
  4. Donna Marie Lapena Padua (17 October 2016). "'PPAP' Is The New 'Gangnam Style': How The World Is Going Crazy in Making Their Own Cover Of 'PPAP'". Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  5. Smith, Chris (27 September 2016). "The internet is obsessed with the next 'Gangnam Style', and it's about fruit". Boy Genius Report. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  6. Caraan, Sophie (23 December 2020). "Kid Cudi Shortest Song Billboard hot 100 record". hypebeast. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  7. Moritsugu, Ken (28 October 2016). "'Pen-pineapple-apple-pen': Japanese viral hit, which cost $1,000 to make, setting records on U.S. charts". National Post. Associated Press. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  8. "Pikotaro "PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)" Sheet Music in C# Minor (transposable) – Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Musicnotes, Inc. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  9. "Video: Pikotaro performs Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen at certificate ceremony as song sets Billboard chart record". Guinness World Records. 28 October 2016.
  10. Boult, Adam (27 September 2016). "Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen: wildly popular viral video will take over the world whether you like it or not". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  11. "'Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen' singer unveils extended version of viral song". Reuters. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  12. Catolico, Gianna Francesca (21 November 2016). "WATCH: Piko-Taro tutors Elmo, Cookie Monster in 'Sesame Street'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  13. "Sesame Street made their own pen pineapple apple pen video". Nine.com.au. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  14. "[OFFICIAL]Beetle Booon But Bean in Bottle(BBBBB)". YouTube. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  15. "PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen) – Single by PIKOTARO on Apple Music". iTunes Store. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  16. "PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen) [Instrumental] – Single by PIKOTARO on Apple Music". iTunes Store. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  17. Penrose, Nerisha (27 September 2016). "Justin Bieber Shares His 'Favorite Video on the Internet': Piko Taro's Viral 'PPAP' Clip". Billboard. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  18. "'Pineapple Pen' song explodes online, dubbed the new 'Gangnam Style'". Asian Correspondent. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  19. Westcott, Ben; Josuka, Emiko (27 September 2016). "Is this the new Gangnam Style? Internet goes crazy for pineapple pen". CNN. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  20. Chew, Hui Min (26 September 2016). "Viral Japanese song Pen-Apple-Pineapple-Pen touted as 'next Gangnam Style'". The Straits Times. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  21. wasabi. "Pen Pineapple Apple Pen N.1 on Youtube Chart – DigitalTrends JAPAN". Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  22. "PIKOTARO Talks Becoming a Viral Sensation With 'PPAP' and Creating His New (Super Short) Album". Billboard.
  23. "Tokyo's Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen Cafe is now open, and we stopped by for a PPAP meal!". 3 November 2016.
  24. "PPAP-2020-/PIKOTARO(ピコ太郎)". YouTube.
  25. Submission, Internal (6 April 2020). "'PPAP' star Piko Taro and pop group Arashi release hand-washing songs". The Japan Times. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  26. "Japanese Music: Top Japanese Songs Chart – Japan Hot 100". Billboard. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  27. "Japanese Music: Top Japanese Songs Chart – Japan Hot 100". Billboard. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  28. "Japanese Music: Top Japanese Songs Chart – Japan Hot 100". Billboard. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  29. "Billboard Japan Hot 100 – Charts – Billboard JAPAN".
  30. Trust, Gary (19 October 2016). "Piko-Taro's 'PPAP' Is the Shortest Song Ever on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  31. Sim, Walter (28 October 2016). "Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen sets world record for shortest song to chart on US Billboard Hot 100". The Straits Times. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  32. "Pikotaro – PPAP (Pen Pineapple Apple Pen)" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  33. "PIKOTARO Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  34. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  35. "PIKOTARO Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  36. "gaon chart – 2016년 42주차 Digital Chart – 국외" [gaon chart – 2016 week 42 Digital Chart – Overseas]. Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  37. "PIKOTARO Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  38. "Piko – Chart history – Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  39. "Billboard Japan Hot 100 Year End – Charts – Billboard JAPAN".
  40. "AKB48 and Justin Bieber Top Billboard Japan's Year-End Charts". Billboard.
  41. "Japanese digital single certifications – ピコ太郎" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 4 July 2021. Select 2017年4月 on the drop-down menu
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