Forget PSY’s Gangnam Style – the newest viral music video to emerge from Asia is Little Apple, a toxically infectious tune produced by the Chopstick Brothers, two Beijing-based filmmakers.
Featuring easily-imitated dance steps and a sugary sweet tune that slowly bores its way into the brains of listeners, Little Apple (which can also be translated as Small Apple) was released as a promotional song for the Chinese comedy film Old Boys: The Way of the Dragon.
With lyrics that allude to an innocent yet undying love, Little Apple’s chorus constantly echoes: “You are my little, little apple / I couldn’t love you any more / Your little red face warms my heart / And lights a fire in my heart / fire, fire, fire, fire, fire!”
Following the song’s release on May 29, its music video gained tremendous popularity and peaked at number one on CCTV’s Global Chinese Music Chart.
It also sparked a flurry of memes on the Chinese internet, with many members of the country’s largest online communities creating videos that mash the song together with either dance routines or humorous clips.
Watch: A collection of Little Apple viral videos
A parody video showing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un dancing to the song alongside American president Barack Obama has been one of the most popular.
The video, created by a Tencent Weibo user who superimposed animations of Kim and Obama’s heads on existing footage, has received hundreds of thousands of views on both Youtube and Youku, one of the most popular video streaming websites in China.
Most recently, even the People’s Liberation Army of Xi'an got in on the act, presumably in an effort to be hip and attract young recruits.
The PLA's video, a recruitment clip that shows military personnel dancing to the song with just as much glee as Kim and Obama, juxtaposes these dance routines with clips of soldiers training.
When they’re not creating viral songs and videos, the Chopstick Brothers go by the real names of Xiao Yang and Wang Taili.
Previously working in advertising and music production respectively, both Xiao and Wang decided to create internet films in 2005. Little Apple is currently their biggest success.