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Jump Up, Super Star!: Pauline's Big Jazz Number

1374 words | Reading time : 6 minute(s)

CharacterMusicPauline

The first sung song in the entire history of the series. The main theme of Super Mario Odyssey, released on October 27, 2017, «Jump Up, Super Star!» is a big-band jazz number performed by Pauline, mayor of New Donk City, and credited to the Super Mario Players. This analysis breaks down the recipe behind the standard and the voices of Kate Davis and Aimi Mukohara.

«Jump Up, Super Star!» is the main sung theme of Super Mario Odyssey (2017), performed in the game by Pauline, mayor of New Donk City. The title is kept in English in the French version, with no official translation.

Behind its cheerful brass hides a small revolution: for the first time, a mainline Super Mario game entrusts its flagship theme to a real song with lyrics, and along the way gives a central place back to a character forgotten since 1981.

Contents

A turning point: the series' first sung song

Since 1985, the Super Mario series has lived to the beat of purely instrumental melodies, from Koji Kondo's famous theme to the little coin jingles. «Jump Up, Super Star!» breaks that tradition: it is the first song with lyrics to serve as the main theme of a mainline Mario game.

That choice is no accident. Super Mario Odyssey pushes the adventure toward travel and celebration, and a sung song anchors that tone emotionally. The track does far more than back a level: it becomes the narrative and marketing heart of the game, showcased from the very first trailers.

Nintendo even built part of its marketing campaign around the song, released as a music video and made available to listen to well before launch. Rarely has a Mario tune been so recognizable from its very first chorus, to the point of becoming a selling point in its own right.

Pauline, mayor of New Donk City, takes the stage

In the game, the song bursts out during the New Donk City festival, the great urban metropolis populated by humans. Mario first has to gather the band's instruments to get the party started, before Pauline finally steps on stage to perform it live in front of the crowd.

The nod is delicious: Pauline is Mario's very first damsel in distress, kidnapped by Donkey Kong in the 1981 arcade cabinet. Thirty-six years later, she returns no longer as a victim, but as a charismatic mayor and star singer of her city.

In the lyrics, she presents herself as the «1-UP Girl» of Mario, an untranslatable pun on the series' extra life (1-UP). The sequence also doubles as a retro 2D playable level, merging song and gameplay in real time for a memorable finale.

Pauline singing on stage during the New Donk City festival
The track scores the festival, with Pauline on the mic in front of the whole city.

Big-band jazz: the recipe for a standard

Musically, «Jump Up, Super Star!» fully embraces an exuberant big-band jazz style, in perfect keeping with the New York flavour of New Donk City. Rather than the series' usual electronic or orchestral codes, the track banks on the warmth of American music hall.

  • a dazzling brass section (trumpets, saxophones) that carries the chorus;
  • an upright bass playing walking bass, plus swing drums typical of a big band;
  • a catchy chorus designed to stay in your head long after you put the game down;
  • a music-hall atmosphere that matches the metropolis's New York spirit.

The track is credited to the fictional band The Super Mario Players, the house orchestra that brings the party to life. The composition is by Naoto Kubo, while the first version of the lyrics was written in Japanese before being adapted into English.

Kate Davis and Aimi Mukohara: the voices of Pauline

In English, the song is performed by Kate Higgins, credited under the stage name Kate Davis. An actress and singer, she also lends her English voice to other heroines in games and cartoons, which fuelled the buzz around the track when it came out.

In Japanese, it is Aimi Mukohara who sings for Pauline, in an equally energetic version. The two official performances coexist depending on the region and on the language settings chosen in the game.

In the European French version, the title stays in English and the song keeps its original performance: there is no official French sung cover. The subtitles translate the meaning of the lyrics, but the vocal performance remains Pauline's in English or in Japanese.

An anthem heard everywhere: Smash, Mario Kart and Pauline's comeback

The track's success went far beyond Super Mario Odyssey. You will find it in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it scores the New Donk City City Hall stage and drives the fights along with its wild brass.

The song also joined Mario Kart 8 Deluxe via the Booster Course Pass, as well as Mario Kart Tour, confirming its status as a recurring anthem for the brand. With every appearance, it instantly conjures up the world of Odyssey.

Above all, the song sealed Pauline's comeback. Once a forgotten arcade accessory, she has become a modern icon of the series, regularly playable and name-checked. «Jump Up, Super Star!» will remain the track that gave a second life to Mario's very first heroine.

Jump Up, Super Star! at a glance

Original game Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Worldwide release October 27, 2017
Performer (in the game) Pauline, mayor of New Donk City
Musical style Big-band jazz
Credited band The Super Mario Players
English voice Kate Higgins (credited as Kate Davis)
Japanese voice Aimi Mukohara
Notable appearances Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart Tour

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FAQ

  • Is «Jump Up, Super Star!» really Mario's first sung song?
    Yes. It is the first song with lyrics to serve as the main theme of a mainline Super Mario game, in Super Mario Odyssey (2017). Previous games relied solely on instrumental music.
  • Who sings «Jump Up, Super Star!»?
    In the game, it is Pauline, mayor of New Donk City. In the studio, the English version is performed by Kate Higgins (credited as Kate Davis) and the Japanese version by Aimi Mukohara.
  • At what point in the game do you hear the song?
    During the New Donk City festival, when Mario gathers the band's instruments and Pauline steps on stage to perform it live, in a sequence that also turns into a playable 2D level.
  • Is the title translated into French?
    No. The title stays «Jump Up, Super Star!» in English in the French version, with no official translation, and the song keeps its original performance.
  • Which other games feature the song?
    You can hear it notably in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, on the New Donk City City Hall stage, as well as in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart Tour.
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