Kpop phenomenon NewJeans have been announced as the headliner for this year’s League of Legends Worlds, which kicks off October 9th in South Korea. The quintet will be premiering the tournament’s latest anthem, “Gods“, joining a storied tradition which includes the likes of PVRIS, Against The Current, The Word Alive, A Day To Remember, and Imagine Dragons.
While NewJeans are at first glance a surprising selection to celebrate the region (Dreamcatcher or AESPA may have been more obvious choices for an anthemic vibe), their widespread popularity has seen a tremendous wave of hype online — Twitch streamer Pokimane remarked she now needed to attend the Finals event on November 19th. It is clear Riot Games have not let the mixed reception to last year’s offering (“STAR WALKIN’” by Lil Nas X) affect their decision to branch out.
“Between Worlds taking place in Korea and NewJeans’ meteoric rise, this partnership felt fated as a true cultural celebration,” commented Carrie Dunn, global creative head for Riot‘s esports division. ““Gods” juxtaposes epic and intense production elements with NewJeans’ beautiful and powerful vocals — conveying both the grind and the glory that awaits our players at Worlds.”
“It was fun to try a new genre and sound,” NewJeans shared. “Through this collaboration, we are happy to present a song that incorporates both NewJeans’ and League of Legends’ unique colours. We hope it brings you a new sense of empowerment!” This bodes well for both those wanting a new sound from NewJeans and those who might otherwise have been worried the laidback group could not reach the ‘hype’ expected of a Worlds anthem.
Kpop has already made a firm impression on the League of Legends landscape, with AESPA having performed the opening ceremony for the Wild Rift SEA Championships and Riot‘s own group, K/DA, featuring prominently in the game and promotional material. A forthcoming collaboration with members of ATEEZ (rumoured to be a male equivalent to K/DA) has also been recently teased.
Performed by NewJeans and written by longstanding Riot composers Sebastien Najand and Mako (Alex Seaver), “Gods” is set to release October 4th (06:00 BST for UK listeners), a week ahead of the tournament’s opening ceremony. A teaser for it can be found below. Featuring heavy bass and orchestral elements, the song already sounds markedly different to anything in the Kpop outfit’s current discography, which is set to make it a memorable one regardless of the outcome.