On Thursday morning, Post Malone released a very special song: a cover of Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be With You” in celebration of Pokémon’s 25th anniversary. This Saturday, Post Malone will perform this song (and others!) During a virtual Pokémon concert on the Pokémon YouTube and Twitch channels.
Unfortunately Post Malone did not insert any Pokémon refers to ‘Only Wanna Be With You’. Not even one of Pikachu is mentioned. It feels to me like a missed opportunity, but the cover is still good – a fairly faithful rendition of the song with some Pokémon-like gameplay. (There’s one reference changed, but it’s a football: the Miami Dolphins to the Dallas Cowboys, who’s Post Malone’s favorite team. Now you know!)
I’m sure why Hootie and the Blowfish? Well, here’s my best guess: ‘Only Wanna Be With You’ was released in 1995, and Pokémon was released in 1996. And honestly, that’s enough for me. The only CDs I owned as a kid were long Grammys compilations – which is why I have this nostalgic penchant for Hootie and the Blowfish.
(For what it’s worth, Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be With You” was not on the 1996 Grammys CD, but “Let Her Cry”.)
In addition to the new Post Malone song, The Pokémon Company announced Thursday morning that it will air a video of Pokémon Presents at 10 a.m. ET on Friday. No real details have been released on what to expect, but many speculate that this is where the company will announce a new version Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.