PPAP was released in 2016 by Japanese comedian Pikotaro, the stage persona of Daimaou Kosaka, as a deliberately simple novelty song built around a pen, a pineapple and an apple. The short video spread rapidly on YouTube and social media, helped by its easy dance, repetitive lyrics and short runtime, and it inspired countless covers, parodies and remixes around the world. It later entered the Billboard Hot 100 as one of the shortest songs to chart, and it remains a familiar reference for cheerful, instantly recognisable internet absurdity.