Yoshiki, the founder and leader of the band X Japan, has been granted the honor of composing and producing the official theme song for the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty. In celebration, Heavy Consequence is teaming up with Yoshiki to give away an exclusive Yoshikitty prize pack.
We caught up with the influential musician via video Zoom (watch above) to discuss his plans for the song as well as his longstanding relationship with Hello Kitty parent company Sanrio. He also talked about his new documentary Yoshiki: Under the Sky, and his recent handprint/footprint ceremony at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
As far as being chosen to compose the Hello Kitty 50th anniversary theme, Yoshiki told us, “I feel very grateful. There’s a character called Yoshikitty, it’s like Yoshiki meets Hello Kitty. It’s been around over a decade. So, Hello Kitty has been a friend of mine for a long time. They asked me to compose the theme song, and I’m very grateful and very excited.”
Yoshiki went on to say that he hasn’t started composing the song yet, but he plans to start working on the track with an as-yet-unnamed singer in the near future.
In addition to the Hello Kitty theme song, Yoshiki recently premiered a new documentary called Yoshiki: Under the Sky in theaters. It is set to be available via Video on Demand on March 5th, and then start streaming on Amazon Prime Video in May.
The film features Yoshiki performing with international artists such as The Chainsmokers, Scorpions, Sarah Brightman, Nicole Scherzinger, HYDE, Lindsey Stirling, and more as it takes viewers on an “emotional journey through the pain of losing loved ones and uniting globally through the healing power of music.”
“The project actually started right [as the COVID pandemic began], so we were all facing an unknown future,” Yoshiki explained to us of the documentary. “I [wanted to show fans] that nothing is impossible … so we made this huge concert.”
Meanwhile, Yoshiki recently was celebrated with his own handprint/footprint ceremony at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, making him the first Japanese artist to receive the prestigious honor.
“It’s very unrealistic to me,” Yoshiki said of the ceremony. “Was I dreaming? Am I going to wake up tomorrow and [realize] everything was just a dream? … I feel like I have to match up to [that honor now,] and I don’t feel like I’ve done that yet, so I will now work harder.”
Speaking of working harder, Yoshiki is playing a major role in helping the victims of the recent earthquake in Noto, Japan. The musician donated 10 million yen to the relief efforts, and also auctioned off his beloved crystal piano for the cause, fetching an additional 40 million yen, for a total of 50 million yen (approximately $337,000 USD). Additional donations can be made through the Japanese Red Cross via the Yoshiki Foundation America website.
Watch our conversation with Yoshiki in the video above, and enter to win a Yoshikitty merch package — including a plush toy, a shoulder bag, and two keychains — below. Contest ends on February 15th.
Trouble viewing the video above? Watch on YouTube.
