POKEMON 25TH YEAR MUSIC ALBUM

The 25th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise was celebrated this past weekend, and The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, and Nintendo went all out to commemorate the occasion with a slew of events. The Pokémon Company held a virtual concert on Saturday night, featuring Post Malone, in addition to the announcements of Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (as well as an improved look at New Pokémon Snap). At the conclusion of the virtual performance, it was revealed that Pokémon would be receiving a special star-studded musical album to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the franchise.

Pokémon 25: The Album is a digital compilation that includes music from artists such as pop singer Katy Perry, reggaeton star J Balvin, and, yes, Post Malone. Pokémon 25: The Album is available now on iTunes. The rapper J Balvin stated in a press release that “Pokémon is pulling out all the stops for P25 Music,” and that he was “thrilled to join the program as one of its premier collaborators.” “I’m looking forward to bringing my own distinct flavor to this massive Pokémon party and spreading even more positive vibes throughout the event.”

Featuring 14 songs from 11 UMG artists, the album will be released by Universal Music Group’s Capitol Records label in the United States. Post Malone’s special cover of Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be with You” has already been released, and now Katy Perry, J Balvin, and another “surprise superstar artist” will release a song inspired by the video game Pokémon. With each new song release, fans will be treated to an accompanying music video as well as exclusive merchandise that features Pokémon and the artist as the main characters. The album will be available digitally in its entirety closer to the end of the year, with the individual songs being released until then. Additional song collaborations with popular artists from around the world will be revealed in the coming months, with the company promising that the songs will be released in “very ‘Pokémon’ ways.”

To view the aforementioned virtual Post Malone concert, please see the video embedded below.