Bellevue, Wash. — February 27, 2021 — Following a global virtual Pokémon music concert starring Post Malone, The Pokémon Company International unveiled more details for its yearlong music program celebrating 25 years of the franchise. At the end of the online event, J Balvin was revealed as one of the premier artists teaming up with Pokémon as part of the P25 Music program in partnership with Universal Music Group. The global reggaeton superstar joins previously announced program headliner and pop icon Katy Perry as well as Post Malone in a year of collaborations and surprise activations matching music artists with the Pokémon brand.
“Pokémon is pulling out all the stops for P25 Music, and I’m thrilled to join the program as one of its premier collaborators,” said J Balvin. “I’m looking forward to adding my own unique flavor to this huge Pokémon party and adding more good vibes to the celebration.”
Katy Perry, J Balvin, and one more surprise superstar artist will each release a song inspired by the pop-culture franchise that has delighted millions of fans of all ages around the world for 25 years. The release of each song will be joined by a music video and an exclusive merchandise collection celebrating each artist and Pokémon.
Just like Pokémon video game adventures, new surprises and discoveries happen along the journey. In addition to these musicians, Pokémon will enlist the help of some of the buzziest new artists from around the world for additional song collaborations. Music fans can stay tuned for more details, including very “Pokémon” ways in which these songs will be released.
These collaborations will culminate in a celebratory year-end digital album “Pokémon 25: The Album” to be released by Universal Music Group’s Capitol Records. The album will feature 14 songs by 11 different Universal Music Group artists including Katy Perry and J Balvin, and Post Malone’s “Only Wanna Be with You – Pokémon 25 Version” surprise original cover of the Hootie and the Blowfish smash ’90s hit ‘performed’ during Pokémon’s P25 Music virtual concert. Following its original broadcast, Pokémon has made the full concert available to watch on demand on the official Pokémon YouTube channel. Fans can also watch the concert on Pokémon’s 25th anniversary website at Pokemon.com/25, where they can also keep up with the latest news for P25 Music and more celebrations across the franchise. The upcoming P25 Music compilation album can be pre-saved beginning today at https://CapitolRecords.lnk.to/saveP25PR/.
Pokémon and music fans are invited to join the conversation online with @Pokemon and #Pokemon25.
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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 J Balvin
"Reggaeton's Global Ambassador" - 5-time LATIN GRAMMY winner J Balvin is now one of the Top 10 streaming artists in 11 different countries on Spotify and Top 10 in 14 countries on Apple Music, regardless of language, and has developed a legion of fans worldwide. Hailed by Billboard as "the biggest breakout act Latin music has seen in many years" and Pitchfork as "the face of modern Reggaeton," Balvin is leading a second generation of Musica Urbana stars that have propelled Latin music to an unprecedented global embrace. His latest album, Colores, saw both critical acclaim and commercial success. With "Blanco," "Morado" and "Rojo" going #1, J Balvin brought his total to 27 songs earning the #1 spot on the Latin Airplay Charts over the course of his career. Most recently, his collaboration with Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, and Tainy, "UN DÍA (ONE DAY)," grabbed the title, garnered over 400M streams and is RIAA certified 6X Platinum. With his music and impact on the culture, Balvin has cemented himself as not only a leader of Reggaeton but as a torchbearer of the new state of Latin music by continuously expanding the limits of the genre and paving the way for "la nueva escuela."
About Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. Featuring the most comprehensive catalog of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. Universal Music Group is a Vivendi company.
About Capitol Music Group:
Capitol Music Group (CMG) is comprised of Capitol Records, Motown Records, Blue Note Records, Astralwerks, Harvest Records and Capitol Christian Music Group, as well as Capitol Studios and Virgin Music Label and Artist Services. Capitol Music Group is based in Hollywood, California within the iconic Capitol Tower.
Artists that record for CMG labels include: Erykah Badu, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Beck, Bee Gees, Jon Bellion, Rosanne Cash, Christine and the Queens, City Girls, FLETCHER, Neil Diamond, Halsey, Don Henley, Hillsong United, Niall Horan, KEM, Lewis Capaldi, Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Charles Lloyd, tobyMac, Paul McCartney, Migos, NE-YO, NF, Norah Jones, Queen Naija, Katy Perry, Gregory Porter, Maggie Rogers, Calum Scott, Bob Seger, Tiana Major9, Troye Sivan and Chris Tomlin. For the U.S.: Disclosure, Empire Of The Sun, and Sam Smith.