Hear Post Malone Cover Hootie and the Blowfish’s ‘Only Wanna Be With You’ For Pokémon 25

Post Malone has released a cover of Hootie and the Blowfish’s hit single “Only Wanna Be With You” in anticipation of the Pokémon 25th anniversary celebrations.

The Grammy award-nominated musician will be performing his rendition of the 1995 track, titled “Only Wanna Be With You – Pokémon 25 Version” during his headlining slot on the Pokémon Day virtual concert. The event will be streaming on the official Pokémon channels on YouTube and Twitch, as well as on the company’s website, on February 27.

Malone brought a fresh take “Only Wanna Be With You” which last appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 25 years ago. It’s a sonic touch that’s come to be associated with his music, particularly in the pop vein of his No. 1 single “Circles” which spent three weeks at No. 1 and 39 weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100.

The singer’s upcoming virtual performance is the first major event of The Pokémon Company’s collaborative partnership with Universal Music Group. His setlist is likely to include the aforementioned cover and “Circles,” as well as notable hits “Sunflower,” “Better Now” and “Wow.”

The collaboration aims to create activations that are fan-focused and interactive. In the trailer for the Pokémon Day concert, Malone is shown as a virtual avatar of himself right before he steps on stage to a cheering audience, Pokéball in hand. He has expressed being a fan of the franchise since childhood, telling Billboard that he still holds onto a Game Boy Color to play Pokémon on.

More events are to come from Universal Music Group and The Pokémon Company in the coming months. At the announcement of the partnership, Katy Perry was named an ambassador for the year of celebrations, saying: “We can’t wait for music fans everywhere to experience the exciting collaborations we have planned.”

Listen to Post Malone’s cover of “Only Wanna Be With You” here.