"Pon Pon Pon" | ||||
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Single by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu | ||||
from the album Moshi Moshi Harajuku and Pamyu Pamyu Revolution | ||||
Released | July 20, 2011 | |||
Recorded | May–July 2011 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:02 | |||
Label | Warner Music Japan | |||
Songwriter(s) | Yasutaka Nakata | |||
Producer(s) | Yasutaka Nakata | |||
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu singles chronology | ||||
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"Pon Pon Pon" (stylized in all uppercase) is a song and debut single by Japanese singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. It was released as the lead single for her EP, Moshi Moshi Harajuku , and later included on her debut album, Pamyu Pamyu Revolution . The song was written and produced by Yasutaka Nakata of Capsule. The music video, a psychedelic tribute to Kawaii and Decora culture, was released to YouTube on July 16, 2011, and became a viral hit. [1] [2] On 27 July 2012, a limited edition of a 7' LP with Side A: PONPONPON -extended mix- and Side B: Cherry Bon Bon -extended mix- was released (and re-released on January 3, 2013) exclusively for DJs.
The song was launched on iTunes internationally in 23 countries, and set records for a Japanese song, reaching #1 in Finland and #4 in Belgium. [3] As of 2012, the song sold over 1 million digital downloads. [4] As of 2024, the music video has over 200 million views on YouTube. Internationally, the song has been featured in G-Eazy's single "Lost in Translation", [5] FACE's "Night Fever", and was featured in The Simpsons episode "Married to the Blob". [6] "Pon Pon Pon" is featured on a 2012 Japan game, Just Dance Wii 2 .
The Japan Times in 2019 listed "PonPonPon" among the most influential J-Pop songs of the 2010s decade, noting the music video's extravagant aesthetics and electronic production. [7]
The music video for "PonPonPon" was shot by Jun Tamukai. [8] The theme of the music video is "kawaii", which means 'cute' in Japanese. [8] Tamukai regarded Kyary as a person bending the definition of "kawaii" by mixing it with weirdness. [8] The art director of the music video, Sebastian Masuda, of fashion brand 6%DOKIDOKI, adopted the randomness of "a room of a girl who isn't good at tidying up", adding "a taste of the 60-70s". [9] The fashion stylist and designer for the video was Kumiko Iijima. [10]
The video is a mix of 2D and 3D animation. It depicts two worlds, the first of which was created by Masuda Sebastian and looks like a room of a girl; the other is her own mental world, where her face is pink-colored. [8] The video starts with a microphone stand coming out of Kyary's ear. The microphone stand is used to imitate the image of Freddie Mercury. [8]
In the chorus, Kyary performs a dance choreographed by air:man with the lyrics inserted as kinetic typography. When Kyary claps during the bridge, slices of bread appear because "pan" is the Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound of a clap, as well as the word for 'bread'.
A combo television unit into which a cassette is inserted is a reference to the fact that analog broadcasting stopped in Japan and was switched to digital broadcasting on July 20, the same day the song was released on the iTunes Store. [8] Kyary parodies the "Hige dance" from the 1970s comedy show 8 Ji Dayo! Zen'in Shugo wearing a mustache [8] and does the "kamehameha" move from the Japanese manga series Dragon Ball . [11]
The cover artwork credits—adapted from liner notes. [12]
Chart (2011–2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
Japan Hot 100 ( Billboard ) [13] | 9 |
Japan Billboard Top Airplay | 6 |
Japan Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay | 68 |
US World Digital Songs ( Billboard ) [14] | 15 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Japan (RIAJ) [15] | Platinum | 250,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
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