In case I wasn’t clear when we were talking about this two weeks ago, I actually really dig Post Malone. But his inclusion as part of Pokemon’s 25th anniversary seemed odd, as most of his music is extremely not for children in terms of content. Doesn’t mean kids don’t listen to him. But the thought of him holding a virtual concert for the brand had me counting on one hand songs that would be appropriate for a family-friendly property like Pokemon. Well, we now know what part of his contribution looks like: a cover of Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be With You.”
Let’s get the straightforward niceties out of the way: The cover is really solid. Mr. Post’s gravely vocal style works well with the song, and I really appreciate that there was a step taken to put a Pokemon spin on things by sampling music from the series like the song that plays in Ecruteak City in Pokemon Gold & Silver.
But also, like, I have questions. “Only Wanna Be With You” has no real tangible connection to Pokemon. It wasn’t featured in any of the movies (The First Movie had a very, very pop-centric soundtrack back in 1999, but there was no Hootie or any Blowfish to speak of), and the song actually predates the series’ debut by about a year. Did Post Malone really just have so few songs in his catalog that would be appropriate? I’m curious what made everyone involved settle on this song. I mean, I like it. So I’m not complaining. I just want it to make sense.
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Post Malone’s contribution to Pokemon’s 25th anniversary celebration is part of a music initiative between The Pokemon Company and artists like Katy Perry. While Perry was named the headliner of the whole thing, we still haven’t heard any song or been told what she’s actually doing for the whole thing. Post Malone’s concert on Saturday, February 27 at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific.
Along with the Hootie and the Blowfish cover, The Pokemon Company also announced it’s holding a Pokemon Presents showcase tomorrow, February 26, at 7 a.m. Pacific. There’s no details about what’s being shown, but given this is a preamble for the series’ anniversary date of February 27, it’s probably going to be something substantial. So hopefully we’ll hear something about new games and other projects The Pokemon Company has in store this year. (Please give me the Detective Pikachu sequel on Switch).
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Get ready, Trainers.
A Pokémon Presents video presentation will be taking place on the official Pokémon YouTube channel tomorrow—Friday, February 26—at 7:00 a.m. PDT.
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— Pokémon (@Pokemon) February 25, 2021
