POPJUICE

To mark Pokémon’s 25th Anniversary this year (yes, it’s been that long!), a series of celebrations are set to be held all year long, and music is involved in a big way.

Following Katy Perry’s ‘Electric’ back in May, last week saw the release of the Pokémon Red EP which featured ‘Wonderful’, a joyous and carefree song by American singer Cyn, who is signed to Perry’s Unsub Records. On the song, Cyn sings about wonder, friendship and growing pains—themes central to the Pokémon franchise.

To better understand the process behind the song and collaboration, we caught up with Cyn for a chat below.

POPJUICE: Hey Cyn! Tell us a bit about how this collaboration with Pokémon came about, are you a Pokémon fan yourself?

Cyn: When I was approached to write a song to celebrate 25 years of Pokémon, of course I jumped at the opportunity, it’s Pokémon! I believe in the show’s themes like teamwork, friendship, hard work, believing in oneself, I am definitely a fan.

POPJUICE: And if you were to be a Pokémon trainer, which Pokémon or element do you think you would find yourself gravitating towards?

Cyn: I think I would gravitate toward water Pokémon. Growing up on the water in Michigan has really made me feel a certain type of way toward water.

POPJUICE: Some songs just have a “carefree, summery, makes you want to take a road trip listening to it” feel and ‘Wonderful’ is totally that for me. What was the inspiration behind the song?

Cyn: When I wrote the song, I was really thinking about grand scheme type of themes—timeless topics like growing pains, nature, and lessons learned.

POPJUICE: One of my favorite lines in the song is “I feel small and big at the same time”—it so perfectly encapsulates the human experience. Could you take us through this line and what it means for you?

Cyn: When I think of the line “all of the things we go through, I feel small and big at the same time”, I am reminded of the leap I took into motherhood. I am but a small contribution to a vast universe but giving birth made me feel like a really huge part of it.

POPJUICE: Congratulations on your baby Etienne! I imagine being a new mother must have had an influence on you. How would you say motherhood has changed the way you approach songwriting and making music?

Cyn: Since becoming a mom, I actually take my art a lot more seriously. I feel more particular about what I say, and I feel more responsibility over my influence. I can’t wait to release more music.

POPJUICE: I read in an interview that you build your songs around somewhat of a “thesis statement” and I find that both genius and immensely interesting. Most artists probably do that to some degree, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone describe it this way. Is this still a process you use and how has it helped you?

Cyn: Yes, I still use this! In ‘Wonderful’ you can think of the thesis as “Oh isn’t it wonderful” and of that I ask, “What’s wonderful?”. Then I support this with things like: fishes that swim in the blue, stars in the sky and the moon. This process has really helped me be more efficient and direct with my songwriting.

POPJUICE: Lastly, one of pop’s greats, Katy Perry, happens to be your mentor. What is a piece of advice she’s given to you that has stuck with you all these years?

Cyn: Katy always encourages me to be true to myself and to keep in mind those kids in small towns, to write to them and inspire them.

Listen to ‘Wonderful’ here:

Check out Cyn on Spotify, Instagram and Twitter!