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Japanese rock star Yoshiki is set to create an international theme song to celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary.
Entertainment giant Sanrio tells The Hollywood Reporter that the musician’s new track for the brand’s golden jubilee will be released this spring. The company adds that Yoshiki “is in talks with high-profile collaborators to bring onto the project.”
“Hello Kitty, congratulations on your 50th anniversary. It is a great honor for me to receive an offer to create an official global theme song for such a wonderful event. Hello Kitty is always cute and makes everyone smile. But that is not all. You also have inner strength. And as you make friends with others, I feel as if I understand the many reasons why people around the world love you,” Yoshiki, who founded and leads the rock groups X Japan and The Last Rockstars, says in a statement. “I’m creating a song that perfectly matches the wonderful qualities of Hello Kitty.”
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Hello Kitty was created in 1974 and the world famous character has launched more than 50,000 branded products sold across 130 countries.
Yoshiki and Hello Kitty have collaborated in the past, including the joint venture toy Yoshikitty, which debuted in 2009 and was inspired by Yoshiki. Yoshikitty is Sanrio’s first character modeled after a real-life person.
Yoshiki recently directed the music documentary Yoshiki: Under the Sky, which he spent three years creating. It features performances of the composer with acts from around the globe including Grammy-winning EDM-pop duo The Chainsmokers, violinist Lindsey Stirling and singer Nicole Scherzinger.
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