Depending on where you stand, Katy Perry’s turn on the Pokémon 25 soundtrack is either a sign of how far the series has come as a multimedia property or a bad misstep by the marketing team. Either way, what we are getting from Perry is nothing less than one of her signature, energy-filled songs albeit with a nod towards and theme drawn from something that can only be described as distinctly Poke-based.
How to Download Electric by Katy Perry
To download Electric by Katy Perry, click on the Download button located below this review. Check out also her another hit – Roar. If you like Pokémon movies, check out also Pokémon Detective Pikachu, while if you are a game enthusiast read about Pokémon GO.
The Song Review
Of course, this isn’t a first for video games or music and tie-ins with major artists and pop culture phenomena have a long history (remember Vanilla Ice’s turn on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II soundtrack?). And it isn’t like Perry herself is any stranger to over-the-top fantasy and visual presentation in her music videos. So, as you would expect, the music video for Electric embraces the premise of the source material it is supporting while still showing off Perry’s signature style and energy. For fans of Pokémon and Perry, it’s not going to disappoint.
But first, some background info on Perry’s latest music video. Originally announced as part of Nintendo’s overall push to celebrate 25 years of Pokémon, the song “Electric” was penned by Perry herself in collaboration with Bruce Wiegner, Lucas Marx, Jon Bellion, Oliver Peterhof, Jordan Johnson, Rachel Kanner, and Stefan Johnson. As one might expect, the song’s general energy is the mixture of a pop anthem and ballad at the same time.
Production for the song itself was completed by Wiegner and German and The Monsters & Strangerz. Overall, the song stays within Perry’s strengths as a performer and vocalist and sticks to common themes in her work. A follow-up to Post Malone’s first single, “Only Wanna Be With You,” “Electric” conveys a sonic familiarity that will be comforting to Perry’s fans and inviting to newcomers to her sound.
The music video itself is directed by Carlos López Estrada which features riffs on the chronology of Pokémon itself in tribute to the song’s role in service of the franchise’s 25th anniversary. Because of this, Perry and a modern-day Pikachu travel back in time to meet up with younger versions of themselves. From here, Perry and Pikachu attempt to influence the younger version of the singer’s choices and confidence when it comes to performing on stage.
This involves subtle manipulation by the crowd and the younger Perry herself by the current version of the singer. It is interesting to suggest that a time-traveling version of Perry is what helped the younger singer become a star but it does introduce interesting plot holes if anyone is paying attention to that kind of thing. One criticism that could be leveled at the music video is that it is highly Katy Perry-centric while the anthem itself is supposed to be about Pikachu and pals celebrating 25 years of Poké glory. Nonetheless, it is a fun music video and solid song that could end up being a genuine bop if it plays its cards right.
