Jump Up, Super Star!

Official cover for the "Jump Up, Super Star!" single

"Jump Up, Super Star!" (referred to as "NDC Festival" in-game) is the theme song of Super Mario Odyssey. It is sung by Pauline during the mission "A Traditional Festival!" The song was also used in gameplay footage of Super Mario Odyssey during E3 2017, and it is heard in the 100th episode of The Cat Mario Show.

The song uses an upbeat, big-band jazz style and is most notable for being the first song from the Super Mario series to feature lyrics, something almost never heard in songs from Mario games. The song has Pauline detailing an adventure across the worlds of Super Mario Odyssey, referring to herself as Mario's "1UP girl." The lyrics are also printed on the inside of the game case for all regions. A Japanese version of the song has its own lyrics, unique to the international version. It can be played from a boombox in the Metro Kingdom and Mushroom Kingdom.

This song was performed by the Super Mario Players and was sung by Kate Higgins (credited as Kate Davis) in English and songwriter Aimi Mukohara in Japanese. It was composed by Naoto Kubo, the original lyrics were written by Nobuyoshi Suzuki, and the English lyrics were written by Rob Tunstall. The full version was released worldwide on October 20, 2017, on the iTunes Store, while the short version was downloadable for free until January 31, 2018.

The "NDC Festival" version of the song also appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and can be played in any Super Mario-series stage. For the New Donk City Hall stage, two separate tracks exist in My Music: "Jump Up, Super Star!" and "Jump Up, Super Star! (Full Band Performance)." If the former is selected, only the drums are heard as only the drummer appears in the plaza, while Pauline and the rest of the Super Mario Players randomly appear throughout the match. Passing by them recruits them to perform their part in the song and appear in the plaza. If the latter is selected, the song plays as is, and the performers are absent from the stage. The song also plays in Mario's character trailer.

"Jump Up, Super Star!" plays in the trailer announcing Pauline and other characters appearing as DLC for Mario Tennis Aces in 2019 during Pauline's segment.

Development

Nobuyoshi Suzuki, the sound designer of Super Mario Odyssey, wrote the first draft of the lyrics in Japanese. According to Yoshiaki Koizumi, they had a discussion on whether using words such as "1UP" would be good. They sent all of the documents they had to the localization members to create the final lyrics, due to English being a more global language, as Koizumi stated. This resulted in a back-and-forth between localization members and the Japanese developers as they struggled to keep the Mario references as subtle as possible. He also indicated in an AMA on reddit that the song had been created as a direct result of their developing the character of Pauline.

The English version was the first to be recorded with voice actress Kate Higgins providing the vocals. According to herself, Cup of Tea Productions, Inc. was in charge of the voice acting. When asked if she was interested in doing the voice, she agreed and auditioned for the role by sending samples of her voice to Nintendo of Japan, and was ultimately selected for the role. Weeks before the recording session, Nintendo of Japan sent her a demo sung by an unknown Japanese singer and a lead sheet, with the music already recorded. Several people from Japan and America were present in the final recording.

For the Japanese version, the Nintendo Sound Team had already some candidates, but after listening to her YouTube videos, songwriter Aimi Mukohara was chosen to do the vocals. All the Nintendo Sound Team was present at the moment of recording. This was the first time Aimi was involved with the music of any video game.

Lyrics

English

Pauline with her band performing the song

Here we go, off the rails
Don't you know it's time to raise our sails?
It's freedom like you never knew

Don't need bags, or a pass
Say the word, I'll be there in a flash
You could say my hat is off to you

Oh, we can zoom
All the way to the moon
From this great wide wacky world
Jump with me, grab coins with me
Oh yeah!

It's time to jump up in the air (Jump up in the air)
Jump up, don't be scared (Jump up, don't be scared)
Jump up and your cares will soar away
And if the dark clouds start to swirl (Dark clouds start to swirl)
Don't fear, don't shed a tear, 'cause
I'll be your 1UP girl

So let's all jump up super high (Jump up super high)
High up in the sky (High up in the sky)
There's no power-up like dancing
You know that you're my superstar (You're my superstar)
No one else can take me this far
I'm flipping the switch
Get ready for this
Oh, let's do the odyssey

Odyssey, ya see! (×7)
Odyssey, odyssey!

Spin the wheel, take a chance
Every journey starts a new romance
A new world's calling out to you

Take a turn, off the path
Find a new addition to the cast
You know that any captain needs a crew

Take it in stride
As you move side to side
They're just different points of view
Jump with me, grab coins with me
Oh yeah!

Come on and jump up in the air (Jump up in the air)
Jump without a care (Jump without a care)
Jump up 'cause you know that I'll be there
And if you find you're short on joy (Find you're short on joy)
Don't fret, just don't forget that
You're still our 1UP boy

So go on straighten up your cap (Straighten up your cap)
Let your toes begin to tap (Toes begin to tap)
This rhythm is a power 'shroom
Don't forget you're the superstar (You're the superstar)
No one else can make it this far
Put a comb through that 'stache
Now you've got panache
Oh, let's do the odyssey

It's time to jump up in the air (Jump up in the air)
Jump up, don't be scared (Jump up, don't be scared)
Jump up and your cares will soar away
And if the dark clouds start to swirl (Dark clouds start to swirl)
Don't fear, don't shed a tear, 'cause
I'll be your 1UP girl

Now listen, all you boys and girls (All you boys and girls)
All around the world (All around the world)
Don't be afraid to get up and move
You know that we're all superstars (We're all superstars)
We're the ones who made it this far
Put a smile on that face
There's no time to waste
So, let's do the odyssey

Japanese

Japanese script	Romanization	Translation
旅のサイン さあ帆を上げ始めよう 追い風も踊る 投げたコイン この未来を占う 女神がキスをした 世界の灯りの数ほど愛を歌えば ジャンプして タッチして Say yeah！ 一緒に夢を見て（夢を見て） さあ恋をして（恋をして） 腕振って歩けば こぼれ落ちてゆく（落ちてゆく）涙の先にも 1UP かなうよ 皆でハイジャンプして（ハイジャンプして） さあハイタッチして（ハイタッチして） タップして踊れば 皆を幸せに（幸せに） スイッチさせてく 世界照らす スーパースター そう Let's do the オデッセイ！ オデッセイ、でっせい！ （×7） オデッセイ、オデッセイ！ 濡れたほほが 笑顔ではじけたら 新しい始まり 窓を照らす 月明かり消えてく 夜明けが待っている 差し込む光の中 ほら夢を願えば ジャンプして タッチして Say yeah！ 独りで悩んで （悩んで） 落ち込んで （落ち込んで） 肩落とす時にも ただ流れていく (流れていく) フレームの中で 1UP できるよ みんなに「Hi、おはよう」（Hi、おはよう） 「Hi、こんにちは」（Hi、こんにちは） 「バイバイ」して「またねと」 すぎる毎日を (毎日を) コツコツと生きる キミこそが スーパースター そう Let's do the オデッセイ！ みんなでシュビドゥビバ （シュビドゥビバ） シュビドゥビダ（シュビドゥビダ） シュビドゥビドゥ 歌えば 涙も痛みも (も痛みも) 悲しみも全部 パッと晴れるよ 一緒にハイジャンプして（ハイジャンプして） さあハイタッチして（ハイタッチして） タップして踊れば 皆で幸せに（幸せに） スイッチさせてく 笑顔こそ スーパースター そう Let's do the オデッセイ！	Tabi no sain Sā ho o age hajimeyou Oikaze mo odoru Nageta koin Kono mirai o uranau Megami ga kisu o shita Sekai no akari no kazu hodo ai o utaeba Janpu shite tatchi shite Say yeah! Issho ni yume o mite (yume o mite) Saa koi o shite (koi o shite) Ude futte arukeba Koboreochiteyuku (ochiteyuku) namida no saki ni mo 1UP kanau yo Mina de hai janpu shite (hai janpu shite) Saa haitacchi shite (haitacchi shite) Tappu shite odo reba Mina wo shiawase ni (shiawase ni) Suicchi saseteku Sekai terasu Sūpāsutā Sou let's do the odessei! Odessei, dessei! (×7) Odessei, odessei! Nureta hoho ga Egao de hajiketara Atarashī hajimari Mado o terasu Tsukiakari kieteku Yoake ga matteiru Sashikomu hikari no naka Hora yume o negaeba Janpu shite tatchi shite Say yeah! Hitori de nayande (nayande) Ochikonde (ochikonde) Kata otosu toki ni mo Tada nagarete yuku (nagarate yuku) furēmu no naka de 1UP dekiru yo Minna ni "Hi, ohayō" (Hi, ohayō) "Hi, konnichi wa" (Hi, konnichi wa) "Baibai" shite "mata ne to" Sugiru mainichi o (mainichi o) Kotsukotsu to ikiru Kimi koso ga Sūpāsutā! Sou, let's do the odessei! Minna de shubidubiba (shubidubiba) Shubidubida (shubidubida) Shubidubidu utaeba Namida mo itami mo (mo itami mo) kanashimi mo zenbu Patto hareru yo Issho ni hai janpu shite (hai janpu shite) Saa haitacchi shite (haitacchi shite) Tappu shite odoreba Mina de shiawase ni (shiawase ni) Suicchi saseteku Egao koso Supāsutā Sou, let's do the odessei!	The symbol of a voyage, Let's start to raise the sails, Even the tailwind dances. I flipped a coin, To predict our future, The goddess kissed us.a If you sing as many love songs as the lights in this world Jump, touch,b And say yeah! Dreaming together (dream together), Come on, loving together (love together), Walking while swinging your arms, After the tears are dry (are dry) Get your 1UP! [Let's] jump up high (jump up high), Come on, giving high fives (high five), And tapping and dancing, Everyone's happiness (everyone's happiness) Will switch on, Lighting up the world, Super Star, So, let's do the Odyssey! Odyssey, dyssey! (×7) Odyssey, Odyssey! If our blushed tears, Become a smile, It'll be the beginning of your journey. On the window, The shining moonlight disappears, The dawn is arriving. In the radiant light, If you have hope in your dreams, Jump, touch, And say yeah! Even when you suffer alone (suffer alone), And you're worried (you're worried), Settling down, Just flowing (flowing), Inside the painting, You can get your 1UP! You say to everyone: "Hi, good morning" (Hi, good morning) "Hi, good afternoon" (Hi, good afternoon) "Bye Bye" and "See you later", Every day your daily life goes (your daily life goes) Into making constant efforts, You're the one we call, Super Star, So, let's do the Odyssey! [Let's] shooby doo be wop (shooby doo be wop), Shooby doo be dap (shooby doo be dap), Sing shooby doo be doo, Tears, pain, and sadness (pain) Will all suddenly go away. [Let's] jump up high (jump up high), Come on, giving high fives (high five), And tapping and dancing, Everyone's happiness (everyone's happiness) Will switch on, Just smile, Super Star, So, let's do the Odyssey!

¹ - 「女神がキスをした」 (Megami ga kisu o shita) is a common way in Japan to say that the universe is on one's side, meaning things will go in the right direction.
² - While the literal translation is "touch," the verb is referring to the act of grabbing coins as the coin sound effect implies, so another possible translation could be "grab."

Media

Jump Up, Super Star! - The theme song of Super Mario Odyssey, as heard in the E3 2017 Spotlight

4:06 File infoMedia:SMO Theme - Jump Up Super Star.oga

Jump Up, Super Star! (Short Version) - Short version of the song available through the main sites

1:59 File infoMedia:SMO Theme - Jump Up Super Star (Short Ver.).oga

Jump Up, Super Star! (Japanese Version) - The song in Japanese

4:07 File infoMedia:SS Jump Up, Super Star! Japanese Version.oga

Jump Up, Super Star! (Japanese Short Version) - Short version of the song in Japanese

1:59 File infoMedia:SMO Theme - Jump Up Super Star (Japanese).oga

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Name in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	Jump Up, Super Star! ～オデッセイでっせい～ Jump Up, Super Star! ～Odyssey, ya see～	Jump Up, Super Star! ～Odyssey, ya see～

Trivia

• The theme of 25m from Donkey Kong can be heard during the part where Pauline repeats the lyrics "Odyssey, ya see". In addition, the sound effect played when Mario jumps over a barrel in the game can be heard at the end of the aforementioned riff.
  • Also, when Pauline sings "Odyssey, ya see" in the objective "A Traditional Festival!" in the game, she mimics her main sprite animations from her first game, Donkey Kong.
• "Jump Up, Super Star!" makes an appearance as one of the songs in the Nintendo Switch installment of Bandai Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin series, Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun!, as well as in the Taiko no Tatsujin arcade game.

External links

• Official Japanese page of the song
• Jump Up, Super Star! on the US iTunes Store
• Jump Up, Super Star! - Super Mario Odyssey Musical on YouTube