During a recent interview with Revolver Magazine, WWE NXT Superstar Io Shirai and musician Poppy commented on Shirai’s entrance theme song (“Scary Mask”). You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
Io Shirai on Poppy’s performance: “I thought the performance went great. Her music is very similar to music in Japan, and I love it. I have never done anything like that before and was honored to be part of such a unique experience.”
Poppy on if she was nervous: “I was only excited. Before I go onstage, the band and I will scream at each other really loudly.”
Poppy on how the collaboration started: “I heard that Io and NXT wanted to use my song and I was thrilled. I was familiar with Io because I watch WWE and was drawn to her. We first met at WWE in person, but we chatted on Twitter.”
Io Shirai on how she became a fan of Poppy: “I already had Poppy’s album and was a fan of her before the performance. I enjoy listening to it in the car, at the gym or on the plane whenever I can.”
Poppy on how she’s a big fan of wrestling: “I have been a fan of pro wrestling ever since I was a small Poppy. I used to own a few of the figures and the WWE-themed ring. I love the intensity of it and the theatrics. I love watching the wrestlers really leave it all out there in the ring. My favorites are Triple H, Io — of course — Ken Shamrock, Ric Flair.”
Io Shirai on the music she likes: “I listen to a lot of Poppy and EDM music. The main connection between heavy music and sports entertainment, to me, is that both evoke a certain type of emotion. Her music is great because it can be fun and scary, which is perfect for NXT and my character.”
Shirai on how she got into wrestling: “My sister started training to be a wrestler and shortly thereafter I fell in love with it. The main difference between wrestling in Japan and the U.S. is that, in Japan, it is more of a sport. In the U.S., it is both sports and entertainment so there are more characters and emotion involved when performing.”
Shirai on what the “Scary Mask” song means to her: “I like to think there is a “good Io” and an “evil Io.” “Scary Mask” is when evil Io comes out.”
