‘Pen Pineapple Apple Pen’: Behind-The-Scenes Of The Viral Song ‘PPAP’ Go A Lot Deeper Than You Might Think


PPAP. Chances are that you have heard the now-viral song, “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” at least one time.

Even though you probably would not like to admit it, you have more than likely seen and heard the hilarious video that goes along with the “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” song a lot more than once.

The concept of the short song — simply about a man that has two different fruits and a commonly used writing utensil — may seem like something that is absolutely boring and a waste of time. However, thanks to the wonderful world of viral videos, the “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” song will continue to live on for many years to come on the internet.

What exactly is the story behind “PPAP?” Who is the guy that is singing and dancing about his “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” situation? That is where things get very interesting. If the song and dance captivated your attention, perhaps you would be even more intrigued by the story behind it — or more importantly, the man behind the song.

According to 9gag.com, “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” was created by a singer-songwriter known as Piko Taro. He is actually the man featured in the hilarious dance video that features a man dancing while showcasing a small collection of invisible/imaginary fruits and writing utensils.

The report states that it goes a lot deeper than the singer-songwriter, though. Piko Taro is actually a character who was created by 53-year-old comedian DJ Kosaka Daimaou.

Kosaka started to introduce Piko Taro into his stand-up comedy routines, and the character did not take very long to start making waves within his act. Since Piko began to gain a little popularity, Kosaka apparently decided to take his exposure to the next level — an international level.

Last week, Kosaka hosted a Q&A session through 9gag.com. Staying true to Piko Taro, DJ Kosaka apparently did not break character at any point during the session. Based on the photos posted to the website, he even dressed the part – wearing the same outfit that he wears in the “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” music video.

With the help of his assistant Mayumi, who translated his replies into English throughout the session, Piko Taro made it clear that he was wide open to answer questions from his fans and critics. He even jokingly stated that he would talk to the point where he “intestines will come out.”

A vast number of questions, comments, commendations and even complaints flooded the website moments after Piko Taro initiated the Q&A session. He apparently did not stay online for very long; the majority of the questions asked were not answered.

There was not a lot of serious discussion or responses posted from the online session. When you think about interviewing the man behind “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen,” though, you more than likely would not expect hardly any serious responses. Therefore, with many of his responses, DJ Kosaka delivered once again when it came to giving his fans exactly what they wanted and expected from Mr. PPAP himself.

Q: What made you choose pen, apple, and pineapple?

A: “There was a pen, apple and pineapple on the table. But just in my head.”

Q: What fruit do you prefer? Pineapple or apple?

A: “Kiwi is the best.”

Q: Can you make a song of a banana and potato?

A: “Within 5 years.”

Q: Do random people laugh at you when they see you on the street?

A: “It happens a lot. Why do you think?”

Q: Are you planning to make another catchy song?

A: “In my head, there is 2000 ideas… Sorry, maybe 4.”

However, he did share his purpose and overall objective for creating “Pen Apple Pineapple Pen” – world peace and happiness.

“I wanted to make the people of US, Russia, Malaysia and other countries smile… I wanted to see your smile. I wanted to see the children all of the world smile. World peace.”

Based on the reactions and responses that have been posted and shared on social media, it is clear that Kosaka achieved his mission of becoming a global sensation with “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen.”

A vast number of remixes of “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” have also been created and shared on social media, as well — drawing even more attention to the hilarious and somehow ingenious original song created by Piko Taro.

One particular fan asked Piko Taro (aka DJ Kosaka) about the popularity of the now-viral memes based on his character and the “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” song, dance and video. When asked to express how he felt about the memes, Piko shared a statement that was perhaps a little more profound in nature than many people expected to read from him.

“I tripped on the street and found a diamond in front of me. It’s something like that.”

It does not take very long at all for the lyrics to get stuck in your head — especially since they really do not fit the standard definition of song lyrics. It was as if Kosaka took random sentences about items that he was holding at the time and made a song about combining those items together — combinations that otherwise would never make any sense in real life.

“I have a pen. I have an apple. Apple pen. I have a pen. I have pineapple. Pineapple pen. Apple pen…. Pineapple pen. Pen pineapple apple pen.”

On one particular YouTube channel, “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” has generated over 72 million views in less than one month. Whether you like it or not, this means that “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” (also known as “PPAP”) is well on its way toward joining the ranks of many other simplistic and somewhat ridiculous yet catchy songs that have become viral hits on YouTube — including “Gangnam Style,” “Chocolate Rain,” and “What Does the Fox Say?”

[Featured Image by suchinan/Shutterstock.com]

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