Japanese artist Piko-Taro’s 45-second YouTube sensation becomes shortest song ever to make it into Billboard Hot 100

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

It lasts just 45 seconds and contains about half a dozen words, but the infuriatingly catchy Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen (PPAP) has propelled the Japanese artist Piko-Taro into the Guinness World Records after his song became a viral hit.



Piko-Taro, the alter ego of the comedian and DJ Daimaou Kosaka, on Friday saw his song listed by Guinness as the shortest song ever to make it into the Billboard Hot 100, helped by an endorsement from Justin Bieber.

Dressed in his trademark animal-print shirt and trousers, the unlikely pop star said he had been stunned by the reaction to his song, which he put together in a few hours.

“In the past I was accustomed to performing in front of audiences of between zero and one person,” the 43-year-old joked at a packed press conference at the foreign correspondents’ club of Japan.

“And then this happens … the internet is a wonderful thing.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Piko-Taro’s 45-second viral hit Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen

PPAP, which cost just 100,000 yen (£780) to produce, has spawned countless cover versions, and its catchy tune is now lodged inside the heads of millions of fans in Japan and across Asia.

The novelty song – which some interpret as a gentle dig at the way English is taught in Japanese schools – first caught the attention of junior high school pupils after its YouTube release at the end of August.

Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) My favorite video on the internet 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/oJOqMMyNvw

It went viral after Bieber told his 89 million Twitter followers that PPAP was his “favorite video on the internet” – a comment that generated 65,000 retweets and 120,000 likes.

“I have the ‘Justin effect’ to thank, and I would love to see him do a cover,” Piko-Taro said after performing a longer version of his hit for the Japanese and international media in Tokyo.

The official YouTube video has been watched more than 67m times on the website and received a total of 400m online views.

Earlier this month Piko-Taro became the first Japanese artist to enter the Billboard Hot 100 since Seiko Matsuda reached No 54 in 1990 with The Right Combination.

On Friday, he announced record deals that will see PPAP released digitally across Asia and in parts of Europe.

Apart from being recognised in the street, the singer said he had been unaffected by his sudden fame.

“It’s only been about a month since the song went viral ... to be honest I haven’t even received my first paycheck yet,” he said.

And he was realistic about the prospect of embarking on a world tour. “Let’s face it, it’s my one and only song and it lasts less than a minute … do you seriously think anyone would come?”