Pon Pon Pon

Not to be confused with Pon Pon.
"Pon Pon Pon"
Single by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
from the album Moshi Moshi Harajuku and Pamyu Pamyu Revolution
ReleasedJuly 20, 2011 (2011-07-20)
RecordedMay–July 2011
Genre
Length4:02
LabelWarner Music Japan
Songwriter(s)Yasutaka Nakata
Producer(s)Yasutaka Nakata
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu singles chronology
"Pon Pon Pon"
(2011) 		"Jelly"
(2011)

"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]

Music video

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Development

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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]

Kawaisa and Decora culture are prevalent in the "PonPonPon" video.

Synopsis

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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]

Personnel

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The cover artwork credits—adapted from liner notes.[12]

  • Steve Nakamura – art director, designer
  • Shinji Konishi – hair, make-up
  • Eri Soyama – stylist

Charts

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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

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[15] Platinum 250,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Dooling, Annemarie (July 27, 2011). "'PonPonPon' Gives Us A Kawaisa Seizure". Huffington Post.
  2. ^ Favorite Summer Artists & Cats Grilling Out (!!!): It's Episode 2 Of MTV's Pop Music Web Show, 'Bigger Than The Buzz'!. Buzzworthy.mtv.com (2011-08-04). Retrieved on 2011-12-08.
  3. ^ "「PONPONPON」が、なんとｉTunesヨーロッパでチャートイン！" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. July 22, 2011. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  4. ^ "きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ 原宿カワイイ大使に任命！！". MUSIC LOUNGE ニュース (in Japanese). 東京都: 有線放送キャンシステム. August 31, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  5. ^ "G-Eazy - Lost In Translation".
  6. ^ "What if Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is on The Simpsons?". SBS Pop Asia. May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  7. ^ "Looking back at the most influential Japanese songs of the 2010s". The Japan Times. December 29, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ、原宿から世界を席巻!? 田向潤監督が明かすMV「PONPONPON」が出来るまで!!" [Kyary Pamyu Pamyu takes the world by storm from Harajuku!? Director Tamukai Jun reveals the process behind the creation of the music video "PONPONPON"!!]. white-screen.jp. August 22, 2011. Archived from the original on March 16, 2013.
  9. ^ "Interview with Kyary and the art director Sebastian Masuda". August 9, 2011.
  10. ^ "WEEKLY MAGAZINE スタイリスト 飯嶋久美子". SONY My VAIO (in Japanese). SONY. May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  11. ^ "Timeout Tokyo Long Interview". Archived from the original on September 13, 2012.
  12. ^ Pon Pon Pon (digital download). Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Warner Music Japan. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Japan Hot 100 : June 09, 2012. Billboard biz. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
  14. ^ World Digital Songs : Jan 12, 2013. Billboard biz. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
  15. ^ "Japanese digital single certifications – Kyari Pomyu Pomyu – Pon Pon Pon" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2014年1月 on the drop-down menu
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