Yoshiki, leader of the legendary band X Japan, has been chosen by Sanrio to compose and produce the official theme song for Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary.
Hello Kitty’s golden jubilee celebration will take place in 2024, 50 years after the beloved cartoon character was created in 1974. Yoshiki has a longstanding relationship with Sanrio, having collaborated with the Japanese company on “yoshikitty,” the first Sanrio character modeled after a real person.
According to a press release, Yoshiki will be collaborating with high-profile music artists on the theme song, although no specific names have been announced as of yet.
Yoshiki stated, “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. I’m creating a song that perfectly matches the wonderful qualities of Hello Kitty.”
The announcement comes after a big year for Yoshiki in 2023. In addition to playing the first shows with his new supergroup The Last Rockstars, the drummer/pianist became the first Japanese artist to be honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre.
He also recently released the documentary Yoshiki: Under the Sky (watch trailer below), and this past summer, X Japan unveiled “Angel,” their first new song in eight years.
The golden jubilee celebration for Hello Kitty will be taking place via numerous events throughout 2024. Stay tuned for more details as they are announced.