Gods

Album: single release only (2023)
Charted: 119
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Songfacts®:

  • The League of Legends World Championship is the annual professional tournament for the multiplayer battle arena game. Hosted by Riot Games, it's the most prestigious and popular eSports tournament in the world, with the 2023 finals attracting over 100 million viewers.

    "Gods" is the official global anthem for the 2023 tournament, held from October 10 to November 19. The event took place in the South Korean cities of Seoul and Busan.
  • "Gods" was the first League of Legends World Championship anthem sung by a K-pop act.
  • NewJeans spin an underdog yarn in the lyric of "Gods." They dive into the intense battlefield of the World Championships, where players bear the weight of facing elite opponents likened to "gods."
  • Riot Games' principal composer Sebastien Najand wrote the song along with Mako's Alex Seaver. Seaver's co-writing credits include the World Championship anthems "Legends Never Die," "Rise," "Awaken," and multiple songs on the Arcane League of Legends soundtrack.
  • There were concerns that NewJeans' trademark soft vibes might not sync with the high-octane atmosphere of a League of Legends World Championship anthem, but "Gods" steps away from the quintet's nostalgic R&B roots. Instead, it unfolds entirely in English, backed by pulsating synth instrumentals that pack a powerful punch.

    "'Gods' juxtaposes epic and intense production elements with NewJeans' beautiful and powerful vocals," said Carrie Dunn, Global Head of Creative, Esports at Riot Games, "conveying both the grind and the glory that awaits our players at Worlds."
  • The music video further depicts the song's underdog theme by following the story of Korean pro player Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu. It depicts his discovery of League of Legends in high school to his run at Worlds 2022. Deft's team, DRX, were ranked fourth in Korea, and that season they had never beaten Korea's top two teams. Nevertheless, they overcame the odds to become the League of Legends' 2022 world champions.

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