The League of Legends musical universe just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Riot Games continues to prove that they’re a record company disguised as video game developers with the announcement of their latest music group. Heartsteel is a virtual pop group featuring League of Legends characters collaborating with real-world artists. They’re set to release their debut single, PARANOIA, this October 23.
The band has brought in some real heavy hitters in the hip-hop world for this new single. Headlining the group is Baekhyun from the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo. Joining him are Cal Scrubby, Tobi Lou, and ØZI. Together, they’re going to bring their unique personalities to make a single that’ll push the boundaries of pop music.
Expanding the League of Legends Musical Universe
Heartsteel isn’t League of Legends’ first foray into music production and it’s not even their only genre. Riot already has three other bands established each with their own distinct sound.
It started with the metal band Pentakill, which was more of a cheeky in-game joke than anything. Then the virtual band released their first full album in 2014 in collaboration with Norwegian rock icon Jørn Lande. It was all-systems-go from there as the band would release two more full albums in the coming years.
The real breakthrough for Riot was the 2018 debut of K/DA and their massive single, POP/STARS. The virtual idol group had (G)I-idle members Miyeon and Soyeon, along with American singers Madison Beer and Jaira Burns, lending their talent and was an instant success. Their single amassed 100 million views in one month and prompted Riot to release an EP a few years later.
Finally, 2019 saw the debut of True Damage, League of Legends’ very own virtual hip-hop and rap group. Soyeon returns to collaborate with hip-hop artists Becky G, Keke Palmer, Duckwth, and Thutmose. Their hit single GIANTS debuted right around Worlds 2019 and the artists even performed it live for its opening ceremony.
Seeing how dates line up, we can definitely expect something similar for Heartsteel’s PARANOIA. We’ll just have to patiently wait as Worlds 2023 continues to play out.
Banner image from Riot Games.
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