# Pen Pineapple Apple Pen > Pen Pineapple Apple Pen is a 2016 viral video meme by Japanese comedian Piko Taro, featuring an earworm song and dance about the titular objects that briefly dominated social media. A dead viral video sensation from 2016 featuring Japanese comedian Piko Taro singing and dancing to the earworm song 'Pen Pineapple Apple Pen' (PPAP). The song became a global trend before rapidly fading. ## Origin Japanese comedian and singer Piko Taro released 'Pen Pineapple Apple Pen' in August 2016. The nonsensical yet catchy song featured Piko Taro performing a simple dance with a pen, pineapple, apple, and pen. The video went viral globally despite the absurd premise. - **Platform:** YouTube - **Creator:** Piko Taro - **Date:** 2016 ## Overview Pen Pineapple Apple Pen is a dead viral craze from 2016 featuring Japanese comedian Piko Taro's song and music video of the same name. The song consists primarily of the repeated lyrics 'I have a pen, I have an apple, ah! Pineapple, pen!' paired with a simple, memorable dance. The hit achieved remarkable viral scale despite (or perhaps because of) its complete meaninglessness. The song has no narrative, message, or deeper meaning, it's purely an earworm built on nonsensical lyrics and a catchy melody. This simplicity allowed it to achieve global reach transcending language and cultural barriers. Despite its massive initial popularity, PPAP proved to be a short-lived craze. The novelty exhausted itself quickly, and by 2017, the song had largely disappeared from popular consciousness. Today, it's remembered as a quirky artifact of 2016 rather than a lasting massive trend. ## How It Spread Pen Pineapple Apple Pen went viral globally in 2016, achieving unprecedented reach for a song based entirely on a nonsensical premise. The song's infectious melody combined with the absurdist lyrics made it instantly memorable. The video accumulated hundreds of millions of views across platforms. The thing achieved remarkable mainstream adoption. Celebrities and major figures participated in parodies and versions of the song. The song appeared in commercials, was covered by major artists, and sparked countless variations. The simplicity of the lyrics (essentially just listing objects) made the song easily translatable across languages. By 2017, the moment had largely faded as the novelty wore off. Despite the initial explosion of popularity, the trend proved to be short-lived. Today, PPAP is remembered as one of the most viral yet ultimately forgotten trends, achieving massive scale temporarily before disappearing. ## How to Use Engaging with PPAP primarily involved watching the original video, which featured Piko Taro showing the simple dance while holding a pen, pineapple, apple, and pen, singing along to the nonsensical lyrics. The simplicity of the choreography meant that people could recreate the video or perform the dance. Variations included: celebrities and major figures creating parodies, remixes and covers by established artists, different language versions, and people performing the dance in creative locations. The most popular variations maintained the core concept while adding celebrity involvement or creative twists. 1. Watch the original Pen Pineapple Apple Pen video to learn the moves 2. Practice the key dance moves at your own pace 3. Record yourself doing the dance with good lighting and framing 4. Post your version on TikTok or Instagram with the trending audio ## Cultural Impact Pen Pineapple Apple Pen represented the strength of nonsensical, absurdist content to achieve massive viral success. The moment demonstrated that meaning and message weren't necessary for viral things, sometimes pure entertainment value was enough. The sensation also showed how easily cultural moments could achieve global scale through modern distribution. A song by a Japanese comedian with no English lyrics (beyond 'pen' and basic English words) achieved worldwide popularity. This illustrated the increasingly globalized nature of viral events. The thing's rapid decline illustrated the distinction between viral sensation and lasting cultural impact. Despite achieving massive scale, PPAP faded quickly once the novelty wore off. This contrasted with musical events that achieve both viral success and lasting popularity. ## Fun Facts - PPAP became one of the most viewed music videos on YouTube despite its absurdist premise - The song has no deeper meaning or narrative, it's purely nonsensical - Major celebrities and artists created parodies and covers of the song - The hit was particularly dominant in 2016 but largely faded by 2017 - PPAP's global success was unprecedented for Japanese absurdist comedy content - The Pen Pineapple Apple Pen meme has been shared millions of times across social media - You can create your own Pen Pineapple Apple Pen meme using free tools like Imgflip - Pen Pineapple Apple Pen first appeared in 2016 - The meme is still remixed and adapted by creators - Brands and marketers have used Pen Pineapple Apple Pen in their campaigns - The meme is still remixed and adapted by creators ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Pen Pineapple Apple Pen? Pen Pineapple Apple Pen a dead viral video sensation from 2016 featuring Japanese comedian Piko Taro singing and dancing to the earworm song 'Pen Pineapple Apple Pen' (PPAP). ### What does Pen Pineapple Apple Pen mean? Pen Pineapple Apple Pen is a dead viral craze from 2016 featuring Japanese comedian Piko Taro's song and music video of the same name. The song consists primarily of the repeated lyrics 'I have a pen, I have an apple, ah! ### Where did Pen Pineapple Apple Pen come from? Pen Pineapple Apple Pen originated on YouTube around 2016. Piko Taro is a Japanese comedian, singer, and performer known for comedic songs and absurdist humor. ### How do you use Pen Pineapple Apple Pen? Engaging with PPAP primarily involved watching the original video, which featured Piko Taro showing the simple dance while holding a pen, pineapple, apple, and pen, singing along to the nonsensical lyrics. The simplicity of the choreography meant that people could recreate the video or perform the dance. ### Is Pen Pineapple Apple Pen still popular in 2026? Pen Pineapple Apple Pen is no longer widely used, though it occasionally resurfaces in throwback or ironic contexts. ### Who created Pen Pineapple Apple Pen? Piko Taro created Pen Pineapple Apple Pen. Piko Taro is a Japanese comedian, singer, and performer known for comedic songs and absurdist humor. He released 'Pen Pineapple Apple Pen' in August 2016, seemingly as another comedic song project. ### When did Pen Pineapple Apple Pen start? Pen Pineapple Apple Pen first appeared around 2016 on YouTube. Piko Taro is a Japanese comedian, singer, and performer known for comedic songs and absurdist humor. He released 'Pen Pineapple Apple Pen' in August 2016, seemingly as another comedic song project. ### What platform did Pen Pineapple Apple Pen originate on? Pen Pineapple Apple Pen originated on YouTube around 2016. Pen Pineapple Apple Pen is a dead viral craze from 2016 featuring Japanese comedian Piko Taro's song and music video of the same name. ### What are the best examples of Pen Pineapple Apple Pen? The best examples of Pen Pineapple Apple Pen showcase its core format at its most effective. Notable variations include PPAP parodies, Celebrity and public versions of the song, Absurdist music videos, Other nonsensical songs attempting to replicate the success, Dance covers, Different versions of the choreography. ### What memes are similar to Pen Pineapple Apple Pen? Memes similar to Pen Pineapple Apple Pen include Deez Nuts, All Star Shrek, Cash Me Outside, We Are Number One. These share a similar format, humor style, or cultural context. ### Is Pen Pineapple Apple Pen dead? Pen Pineapple Apple Pen has mostly run its course. You might see it pop up ironically or in throwback posts, but it is no longer a regular part of meme culture. ### Has Pen Pineapple Apple Pen been used by celebrities or brands? Various brands and public figures have referenced Pen Pineapple Apple Pen in their social media and marketing. Memes with broad recognition like this one often get picked up for commercial use. ### Can I buy Pen Pineapple Apple Pen merchandise? Yes, Pen Pineapple Apple Pen merchandise is available on platforms like Redbubble, Amazon, and Etsy. You can find t shirts, stickers, mugs, phone cases, and other items featuring the meme. ### Where can I find the Pen Pineapple Apple Pen template? Templates and references for Pen Pineapple Apple Pen are available on sites like Imgflip and Know Your Meme. Search for the meme name to find usable versions. ### How do I make my own Pen Pineapple Apple Pen? Engaging with PPAP primarily involved watching the original video, which featured Piko Taro showing the simple dance while holding a pen, pineapple, apple, and pen, singing along to the nonsensical lyrics. The simplicity of the choreography meant that people could recreate the video or perform the dance. ### Did Pen Pineapple Apple Pen inspire any other memes? Yes, Pen Pineapple Apple Pen inspired several variations and spinoffs, including PPAP parodies, Celebrity and public versions of the song, Absurdist music videos, Other nonsensical songs attempting to replicate the success, Dance covers, Different versions of the choreography, Remixes and re-arrangements, Musical variations on the original. ### Is Pen Pineapple Apple Pen copyrighted? Most memes exist in a legal gray area. The original image or video may have copyright protection, but meme formats are generally treated as fair use. That said, this is not legal advice. ## References 1. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen, Wikipedia]() 2. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen on Reddit]() 3. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen, Know Your Meme]() 4. [Google Trends: Pen Pineapple Apple Pen]() 5. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen Meme Explained, YouTube]() 6. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen on X/Twitter]() 7. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen Meme Templates, Imgflip]() 8. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen on TikTok]() 9. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen Meme, Pinterest]() 10. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen, Memedroid]() 11. [Pen Pineapple Apple Pen, 9GAG]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/ppap Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library