Gods

Album: single release only (2023)
Charted: 119
Play Video

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.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine BandSongwriter Interviews

Harry Wayne Casey tells the stories behind KC and The Sunshine Band hits like "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)," and "Give It Up."

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.