Bellevue, WA – September 29, 2022 – The stars have aligned as Pokémon mega-fan and international music superstar, Ed Sheeran, has collaborated with The Pokémon Company group on a new song, “Celestial”. His special track will appear in the highly-anticipated video games, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, launching November 18 exclusively on the Nintendo Switch family of consoles. Fans can get an early listen and enjoy the music video for the song which launches today on Ed’s official YouTube channel.
The “Celestial” video is inspired by Ed’s childhood fascination with the franchise and features some of his favorite Pokémon such as Pikachu, Squirtle, Machamp, Snorlax, and more. It follows a typical day in Ed’s life with a Pokémon twist and was directed by the award-winning Yuichi Kodama. Featuring a unique ‘sketch’ themed art direction from Yu Nagaba, whose style is reminiscent of the doodles that Ed drew of his Pokémon as a child, the video is full of surprises for fans to discover and transports viewers back to a simpler time in their childhood when the sky was the limit.
“I’ve played Pokémon since I was in primary school,” commented Ed. “Me and my brother used to have different versions of the games and would trade Pokémon together ‘til we each completed our Pokédex. I loved the cards but the games are what I lost myself in. I loved the whole world they created; it kept me distracted if there was negative stuff happening in my life/school that I wanted to avoid. It was a world I could escape into and I’ve played it ever since. Even though I'm 31 now, I still own the same Game Boy Color and play Pokémon Yellow or Pokémon Silver on planes and trains when I'm on tour. It’s such an honor to add a song into a Pokémon game and shoot a nostalgic video too. I hope you guys enjoy the song and video - it was a blast to film!”
“Working with a superstar like Ed has been a dream come true for us at Pokémon,” added Kenji Okubo, President of The Pokémon Company International. “We are all such big fans of his and, not only was he a joy to work alongside, his authentic love of everything Pokémon really shines through. Yuichi Kodama has done a fantastic job of capturing a feeling of pure childlike joy and sense of adventure within the video too. Both of their genuine adoration for Pokémon makes this a truly special collaboration and we can't wait to see Pokémon fans and music fans singing along to Celestial. I hope everyone is also looking forward to enjoying the track later this year in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet games.”
Watch the “Celestial” music video now: https://youtu.be/23g5HBOg3Ic
“Celestial” is available now to purchase and stream here: https://edsheeran.lnk.to/celestial
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet launch worldwide November 18, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch family of consoles. For more information, please visit: https://scarletviolet.pokemon.com/en-us/.
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About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.
About Warner Music Group
With a legacy extending back over 200 years, Warner Music Group (WMG) today brings together artists, songwriters, and entrepreneurs that are moving entertainment culture across the globe. Operating in more than 70 countries through a network of affiliates and licensees, WMG's Recorded Music division includes renowned labels such as 300 Entertainment, Asylum, Atlantic, Big Beat, Canvasback, Elektra, Erato, First Night, Fueled by Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Spinnin', Warner Records, Warner Classics, and Warner Music Nashville.
WMG's music publishing arm, Warner Chappell Music, has a catalog of over one million copyrights spanning every musical genre, from the standards of the Great American Songbook to the biggest hits of the 21st century.
Warner Music Group is also home to ADA, the independent artist and label services company - as well as next gen artist services division WMX, which includes consumer brands such as Songkick, the live music app; EMP, the merchandise e-tailer; UPROXX, the youth culture destination; and HipHopDX, the hip-hop music news site. In addition, WMG counts storytelling powerhouse Warner Music Entertainment and social media content creator IMGN among its many brands.
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About Nintendo
Nintendo Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, has created franchises that have become household names worldwide, including Mario™, Donkey Kong™, The Legend of Zelda™, Metroid™, Pokémon™, Animal Crossing™, Pikmin™ and Splatoon™, through its integrated hardware and software products. Nintendo aims to deliver unique, intuitive entertainment experiences for everyone, manufacturing and marketing video game devices such as the Nintendo Switch™ family of systems, developing and operating applications for smart devices, and collaborating with partners on a range of other entertainment initiatives like visual content and theme parks. Nintendo has sold more than 5.1 billion video games and over 800 million hardware units globally. From the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System™ more than 30 years ago, through today and into the future, Nintendo’s continuing mission is to create unique entertainment that puts smiles on the faces of people all over the world. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at https://www.nintendo.com/.