This year, one of the biggest media franchises in the world will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. This series is none other than Pokemon, and it appears that The Pokemon Company will be going all out. Besides the reveal of New Pokemon Snap, the re-release of classic Pokemon cards, and North Face x Gucci items in Pokemon GO, the Japanese company has also announced a collaboration with one of the biggest pop stars of all-time.
As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, The Pokemon Company will be creating the P25 Music program in partnership with Universal Music Group, headlined by Katy Perry. Details about the program, Perry's participation, and the other "rising artists to award-winning global superstars" included are to be revealed throughout the year.
“In Katy Perry, we see a kindred spirit to Pokémon, whose world is bright, fun and uplifting,” said Colin Palmer, vice president of marketing at The Pokémon Company International, in a press release. “Katy is a wonderful ambassador to help us celebrate 25 years of Pokémon, and we can’t wait for music fans everywhere to experience the exciting collaborations we have planned.”
In an interview with People, Perry spoke of being a huge Pokemon fan, referring to her 2019 visit to The Pokemon Café in Japan as "amazing." She revealed that Pikachu is her favorite Pokemon, saying: "I'm really attached to the hero. I know there are others in the game, but I just found Pikachu to be really cute."
The partnership with Perry — who gave birth to her daughter, Daisy, in late August — was teased during a brief video with a snippet of her potential song. P25 Music will not be the only time Katy Perry has stepped foot into the world of gaming. She previously translated her hits "Hot n Cold" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" into Simlish for The Sims 2 and 3 respectively, and recorded an original song for Final Fantasy Brave Exvius where she appeared as a playable character.
Other artists that have lent their talents to Pokemon before include Kygo, Lil Uzi Vert, Pharrell Williams, and Rita Ora for the Pokemon: Detective Pikachu soundtrack.
Source: People, The Pokemon Company