The voice behind the Pokémon theme song on the cartoon's 'ballistic' success

Originally published on Dec. 15, 2016

When voice artist Jason Paige first recorded the demo for the Pokémon theme song he knew little to nothing about the Japanese animated phenomenon.

After watching a few episodes in the studio, Paige decided he'd sing the song in the style of a 14 to 17-year-old boy and the rest was history. 

Today, Pokémon is almost unavoidable with the ubiquity of the Pokémon GO app, but Paige had no clue his demo would take off and become such a recognizable tune. 

"The TV show went ballistic," Paige explained, adding that the recent surge in popularity has given his profile a boost. "It has brought a lot of the fan love back [to] me." 

Of the theme's "anthemic, youthful enthusiasm," Paige noted that the lyrics can be read as "an analogy for our lives and the people we bring into our lives, and how we can help inspire them to be their best."