Katy Perry and Jimmy Kimmel set out to achieve the unachievable: create a children’s song that will knock the most-watched music video of all time, “Baby Shark,” off its throne. On Monday, the duo collaborated to “doot doot” something about the catchy children’s song for the sake of all our sanity.
Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark” has racked up over 10 billion YouTube views since launching and has been the creative driver behind scores of new children’s product lines. Perry and Kimmel’s creation, dubbed “Toot Toot Poop!” has quite a challenge before it, but even if they don’t overcome the “Baby Shark” behemoth, parents everywhere appreciate their effort.
Kimmel lays the premise for his creative collaboration at the beginning of his show. “Those of you who are parents know the song “Baby Shark.” It is the most watched—and hated—YouTube video of all time.” Tired of being bullied and badgered by toddlers intent on singing the song over, and over, and over again, Kimmel decided to pull Perry in to create the next viral children’s songsation.
“Let’s think about key stuff that two year olds would really find interesting,” started Perry during the duo’s brainstorming studio sesh. Repetition and kid hot-topics, like dinos, farts, garbage trucks and food all got hashed-out on a white board. “Yum yum is a good one, right?” Kimmel said. “It causes all the hair on my body to stand up when I say the word ‘Yum Yum,’ but I think that’s good because the parents have to hate the song,” he added. “Nom nom” got thrown in the mix as Perry discovered that fart sounds really influenced the beat in a flatulent—and overwhelmingly positive—way. And just like that, a classic was born.
Instrumentally, the duo hit a roadblock when Perry mentioned she couldn’t play the piano—the only accompaniment in the studio—but they kept going and found the perfect “poop” key to play. Deciding early on to “Keep It Simple Stupid,” Kimmel suggested they cut the “simple” and just “Keep It Stupid.” As a result, they created a song that moves you (or, at least, describes the movement of your digestive system).
“Clap your hands and stomp your feet/ Give me something good to eat,” Perry sings in the hyper-colored video featuring the unforgettable chorus, “Yum yum, nom nom, toot toot, poop!” Kimmel takes it from there, singing about what happens after the food hits your tongue. “First the food goes in your mouth/ Then it starts to travel south,” he sings, and the music video rises to the creative challenge with the pair floating down a cartoon esophagus into a stomach.
Chicken fingers, cheesy fries, pumpkin pancakes and chocolate pies fill the song, and if that wasn’t enough to keep it in your head, the chorus circles back to “Yum yum, nom nom, toot toot, poop!”—guaranteeing you will never. ever. get it out of your head.
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