The Pokémon Company International is celebrating 25 years of the beloved franchise in a big way with a newly announced collaboration with pop singer Katy Perry. The global music celebration called P25 Music will feature Perry alongside other rising artists to ring in those “gotta catch ’em all” festivities.
To celebrate 25 years of Pokémon, the company is teaming up with Universal Music Group for Brands to help make the 25th-anniversary party one to remember. This is the largest event to date for the franchise, according to the Pokémon Company, and will include “some of the biggest names in music.” Perry’s role in the celebratory event will also extend beyond headlining, she will also be working as a “premier collaborator” throughout the entire year.
“Pokémon has been a constant in my life from playing the original video games on my Game Boy to trading Pokémon TCG cards at lunch to the adventures of catching Pokémon on the street with Pokémon Go. I’ve even visited the Pokémon Café in Japan while on tour! It is an honor to be chosen to help celebrate a franchise that has given me so much joy in the last 25 years, and to be able to watch it evolve in the ways it’s provided that kind of electric joy for the kids in my life and around the world,” said Katy Perry in a press release about the Pokémon music event.
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“In Katy Perry, we see a kindred spirit to Pokémon, whose world is bright, fun and uplifting,” added Colin Palmer, vice president of marketing at The Pokémon Company International, in that same 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.”
More details about the ongoing music event will be dropping throughout 2021 alongside the promise of even more exciting reveals on the way.
“We are honored to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon and the significant cultural impact this beloved franchise continues to have around the world. Working together, we have developed dynamic year-round programming involving artists from across UMG’s labels — because what better way to create a global celebration than through the power of music,” concluded LJ Gutierrez, General Manager, UMGB.
In previous years, we’ve seen Pokémon Day announcements for new games as well as fun, integrative ways to join the fandom through things like Snapchat filters and special Pokémon Go events. While we don’t have details about what could possibly be revealed outside of what we already know (like a new Pokémon Snap), more announcements will be flowing in steadily throughout the year as part of this special 25-year event.
While much of the world is still dealing with isolation due to the continued spread of COVID-19 and Stay At Home orders, the power of music should not be discounted. Pairing the delight of music with the love of the adorable Pokémon franchise is a recipe for an awesome way to come together as a community.
To learn more about the year-long Pokémon celebration, you can check out the official Pokémon website here for more fan-driven activities and new announcements about what’s next for the franchise.
