Social media erupt with ‘Pen Pineapple Apple Pen’ memes, parodies

“Pen Pineapple Apple Pen,” or “PPAP,” a Japanese song brandished by many as an infectiously viral “ringtone,” has not only “brainwashed” Japanese social media but also other Asian online users.

The frenzy track was performed by Piko-Taro, a fictional character brainstormed by comedian-DJ Kosaka Daimaou, whose real name is Kazuhiko Kosaka. Although the comic clip went live on the video-sharing site for a month, it was only felicitously celebrated by social media when it was posted by several Facebook pages in the past few days.

Clad in yellow garments and an animal print scarf, Piko-Taro was likened to Borsalino Kizaru, the swanky marine admiral in the smash-hit anime series “One Piece.”

The music video, uploaded on Piko-Taro’s YouTube account, has amassed 6.6 million views while a similar clip posted on 9GAG’s Facebook page has garnered 54.6 million views as of Wednesday.

Several Asian social media pages enhanced their creative skills by making memes of the Japanese sensational hit.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Miley Cyrus Ditches Her Birthday Suit for Baby Clothes in “BB Talk”

If you think Miley Cyrus’ wilder ways have gone away as soon as she stripped off that strap-on penis, think again. Over the weekend, Miley Cyrus just released the music video for “BB Talk,” a new single from her surprise album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz.  In the video, she came out looking like Wes Anderson’s flirty solution to boring nursery fashion.



“BB Talk” follows her second single “Lighter,” an LSD trip waiting to happen, as she sings in the nude with a psychedelic light being projected on her. This video is a pastel showcase that literalizes the persona’s (possibly Miley’s) experience with an ex who treated her like a child.

Instead of donning tight-fitting clothing or ingesting certain recreational illegal drugs, she wears frilly lace dresses and sports a rockabilly cut, complete with blunt bangs and Shirley Temple curls.

It’s a clear throwback to Hannah Montana. Only this time, she’s gyrating in a wooden crib, and not holding a microphone.

If the overly filtered visuals also happen to ring a bell, it’s because Diane Martel, Miley’s co-director for “BB Talk,” previously worked on Robin Thicke’s controversial music video “Blurred Lines.”

Now we’re not sure which came first: this video or her shoot with Terry Richardson. Nonetheless, we can say she’s into these childlike undertones. You do you, Miley.

[Refinery29]


Photo courtesy of YouTube

source: preen.inquirer.net

Watch: Adam Levine goes butt naked in new music video

Adam Levine stripped to his birthday suit again in the music video of Maroon 5’s new single, “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt Like a Motherf—ker.”

The video shows Levine wrapped in a towel in his dressing room as he prepares for a show.

The music video was shot at the Wembley stadium in London and was directed by Levine and photographer Travis Schneider.

After performing before a packed stadium, the video showed the band leaving the venue.

As of posting, the video, which was released on Saturday on YouTube, has already gained 170,921 views.

Comments posted on YouTube said that they were watching the video because of The Voice coach’s butt: YouTube user kingkingjustiun said “Adam’s ass is trending” while ThisisAlan said  “0:28 is the most paused moment of YouTube on YouTube 2015,” pertaining to the point where Levine’s butt was exposed.

Levine is no stranger in shedding some skin in front of the camera. The Maroon 5 frontman and his wife, model Behati Prinsloo, went naked and shared a steamy scene in the “Animals” music video released last year.

The band will be performing in Manila on September 17.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Gayes vs Pharrell, Thicke

LOS ANGELES—The family of Marvin Gaye has won a round in a court battle over allegations that last year’s blockbuster hit song “Blurred Lines” ripped off the late Motown legend’s work.

A US federal judge on Thursday denied a motion by singer Robin Thicke and songwriter Pharrell Williams, who wanted a court to reject the plagiarism accusations made by Gaye’s children. 


The ruling clears the way for the dispute to head to a celebrity trial set to open in LA in February.

The Gaye estate says “Blurred Lines” copied elements of the singer’s 1976 track, “Got to Give It Up.”




The two sides brought in music experts who dissected the songs’ structures to debate the merits of the claim.

Sufficient showing 


“Defendants have made a sufficient showing that elements of ‘Blurred Lines’ may be substantially similar to protected, original elements of ‘Got to Give It Up,’” ruled Judge John Kronstadt of the US District Court for Central California.

“Genuine issues of material fact are present as to the extrinsic similarity of the works. The intrinsic similarity of the works is a jury question,” he wrote.

“Blurred Lines” was already controversial.

The song contains the refrain “I hate these blurred lines/I know you want it” and has been condemned by critics who say the lyrics refer to the issue of sexual consent.

Naked women

The video features naked women parading before Thicke.

The R&B singer has said that he was fond of “Got to Give It Up” when he went out to record “Blurred Lines.”

But in court, Thicke insisted that he had embellished the connection as he liked being called the “white Marvin Gaye” and contended that Williams—who later recorded the smash hit “Happy”—did all the writing on “Blurred Lines.”

The judge said: “Thicke’s inconsistent statements do not constitute direct evidence of copying.”

Thicke and Williams brought to court a musicologist, Sandy Wilbur, who testified that the melody, harmony and rhythm of the songs were different. She said that only one note in the songs’ key phrases had the same pitch and placement, but did not last the same duration.

But an expert for Gaye’s family, Judith Finell, pointed to eight similarities and said that Wilbur erred in “microscopically analyzing” each musical element in isolation. AFP

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Indonesia Nazi-theme campaign video causes outrage

JAKARTA — A Nazi-themed music video supporting a candidate in next month’s Indonesian presidential election is causing outrage at home and abroad.

The video, “Indonesia Bangkit,” or “Awakening Indonesia,” is based on Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” It shows musician Ahmad Dhani wearing a fascist-style uniform and holding an Indonesian Garuda bird emblem that resembles the Nazis’ imperial eagle.

According to the German news magazine Der Spiegel, the military costume is similar to the uniform worn by SS commander Heinrich Himmler.

The video was uploaded on YouTube as a campaign song for Prabowo Subianto, a former army general who has been accused of abducting pro-democracy activists in 1998 and instigating deadly riots.

Brian May, Queen’s lead guitarist, has waded into the controversy, saying “of course this is completely unauthorized by us.”

Asvi Warman Adam, a noted historian from the Indonesian Science Institute, said the video defiles Indonesia’s state symbol, the Garuda bird.

“It is clear that Indonesia’s Constitution opposes all kinds of fascism as done by Nazis in the past,” he said.

Joshua Oppenheimer, the Oscar-nominated director of the documentary “The Act of Killing,” about the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people across Indonesia in 1965-66 in the name of fighting communism, said the video “is not a clever foreign policy move for Prabowo, unless he really wants to alienate all of Europe — and the rest of the human community.”

He added, however, that given Prabowo’s background, “perhaps he doesn’t care.”

In an interview with American journalist Allan Nairn in 2001, Prabowo said Indonesia needed an “authoritarian regime” and indicated he was willing to be called a “fascist dictator.”

The July 9 election pits Prabowo against Jakarta Gov. Joko Widodo.

Supporters of each candidate created campaign songs for them. Prabowo posted the video on his Facebook page and thanked Dhani and other artists for their support.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net