ANUARY 26: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop.) Post Malone attends the 2020 Sundance Film Festival – “Palm Springs” Premiere at Library Center Theater on January 26, 2020 in Park City, Utah. Image: Cindy Ord/ Getty Images/ AFP
Rapping lyrical: Post Malone set to headline virtual Pokemon Day concert
Rapper and Pokemon fan Post Malone has been announced as a headliner for Pokemon’s virtual concert to mark the franchise’s 25th anniversary.
ANUARY 26: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop.) Post Malone attends the 2020 Sundance Film Festival – “Palm Springs” Premiere at Library Center Theater on January 26, 2020 in Park City, Utah. Image: Cindy Ord/ Getty Images/ AFP
The Circles hitmaker will perform as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for the iconic animated franchise on 27 February, which has been dubbed “Pokemon Day”.
A trailer for the free event shared on the official Pokemon YouTube channel, where the set will be streamed, features a cartoon version of the Grammy-nominated artist.
Malone, who for the record still has a Game Boy Color specifically so he can play Pokemon, said: “I’ve been a Pokemon fan for a long time, so the opportunity to headline the Pokemon Day concert celebrating 25 years is awesome.”
In partnership with Universal Music Group, Pokémon is commemorating a quarter-century of its beloved video games, mobile apps, and more with all year long with an artist-involved series dubbed P25 Music. The Post Malone concert serves as the series’ kickoff, and more details about the celebration will be revealed at the end of the rapper’s show.
Katy Perry’s ‘playful’ Pokemon collab
Malone’s involvement comes after it was announced that Katy Perry is teaming up with the franchise on P25 Music, a new venture to mark the milestone.
The 36-year-old pop star – who gave birth to daughter Daisy in August – was even more keen on the “playful” collaboration now she’s a mother.
The ‘Smile‘ hitmaker said: “I love being a part of anything that is playful and is good storytelling and has really good messages to share with the world. Now having a child myself, I understand that it’s so important to play. This is a continued extension of who I am.”
Katy recalled the “amazing” experience she had visiting The Pokemon Cafe in Japan in 2019.
She said: “I was pregnant when I was there actually, little did I know! It was amazing. It brought up all these wonderful childhood memories. I’ve been going to Japan since I was 17 every year and have always really loved everything that’s been created there.”
Pokemon: Something to look forward to during ‘unknown times’
And the ‘American Idol’ judge hopes the Pokemon project gives her fans something to look forward to this year as things are so “unknown”.
She said: “In this moment of unknown, there are dependable places and characters and institutions and people, and I hope I can be one of them. That’s what I hope for in my personal self, and even in my involvement with this collab.”
Pokemon GO Tour and ‘special Pikachu’
Leading up to Post Malone’s concert, The Pokémon Company International will also host a Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto event on Saturday 20 February, and will distribute a special password on 25 February for players to add a special Pikachu to their Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video games.
“In keeping with the music theme for the year, this Pikachu knows the move Sing, which it can’t ordinarily learn,” a release notes.
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