Ed Sheeran has announced the release of his new Pokémon-themed single “Celestial” next week, admitting he’s a longtime fan of the franchise. The song will be accompanied by a music video illustrated by the video game’s animators when it’s released on Sept. 29.
“I met the people from Pokémon when I was traveling in Japan, and we joked about me writing a song for them,” Sheeran wrote in an Instagram Reel. “But now here we are. ‘Celestial’ comes out next Thursday, and the video is insanely amazing, animated by the incredible people at Pokémon.”
Sheeran also debuted a new tattoo Thursday on his Instagram in honor of the collaboration. The singer now sports an image of the fan-favorite Pokémon character Squirtle below his right elbow.
While reminiscing in the Instagram post, Sheeran revealed that he was obsessed with the game as a boy, and he still uses a yellow Nintendo Gameboy to play the Pokémon Silver video game on long flights.
“I started off with Pokémon cards when the craze hit primary school when I was about 7, then the show was on TV so I used to try and record it over the same VHS every week,” wrote Sheeran. “It gave me a proper escape as a kid into a fantasy world that seemed to go on and on, and in adult life it’s nostalgia that makes me feel like a kid again.”
“Celestial” will follow Sheeran’s most recent studio album = (Equals), which debuted atop the Billboard 200 in November 2021.
