PIKOTARO

From the same unexpected corners of novelty that produced one-hit wonders like "Scatman" and "Mambo No. 5" comes Piko-Taro with his viral hit "PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)." The inspired creation of Japanese comedian Kazuhito Kosaka (who also goes by Daimaou Kosaka), "PPAP" falls somewhere between "Gangnam Style" and Weird Al, as catchy as it is comedic. Performed by Kosaka as the fictional musician Piko-Taro, the song became a viral success in late 2016 after a mention by Justin Bieber helped generate millions of online views, as well as almost six million streams. The deviously catchy ditty and its accompanying dance wiggled their way into enough ears that it made it onto Billboard as the shortest song to ever chart. The 45-second "PPAP" hit number 77 on the Hot 100 and number 37 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales charts, rising to number 39 in Canada and topping the charts in Kosaka's home country. At the peak of "PPAP"'s viral presence, the song was fleshed out to two minutes of pen-pineapple goodness. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi