Riot Games surprised everyone when they announced a huge collaboration with K-pop group NewJeans for the Worlds 2023 anthem “Gods.” In doing so, they became the first K-pop act to sing the tournament’s anthem, making history in esports and pop culture.
Maria Egan, the Global Head of Music and Events at Riot, explains why they chose to team up with K-pop group.
Why did Riot Games choose NewJeans for the Worlds 2023 anthem?
“We knew from the jump we wanted a K-pop artist on the anthem to really pay tribute to our host country,” Maria said during the Worlds 2023 finals media day, which took place on November 15 in Seoul, South Korea.
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Their “massive global ascendancy” further impressed Riot, and the video game company wished to collaborate with them through “Gods,” which she described as a “really traditional and very iconic League anthem sound.”
“We knew we wanted a fresh twist on it, so we were lucky enough they were excited to collaborate with us,” Maria said.
NewJeans is ADOR’s all-girl group comprised of Danielle, Hanni, Haerin, Hyein, and Minji. They made their debut in 2022, becoming the first K-pop band to achieve the million-seller milestone with their debut album, “New Jeans.”
The group is known for their hit singles “Attention,” “Hype Boy,” “OMG,” and “Super Shy.”
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READ MORE: NewJeans makes history as the first K-pop act to sing League of Legends Worlds anthem ‘Gods’
