news culture LoL: What is the KDA phenomenon, the virtual K-pop group that made a splash in video games?
You certainly haven’t missed this very ambitious virtual music group that is K/DA. This K-pop girl band shook both the players of the famous Moba and the music world, which didn’t expect such a sensational debut. A look back at this group that was able to bring video games and K-Pop together.
What is K/DA?
To be very precise, the term K/DA is an indication that allows League of Legends (Lol) players to measure their performance in the game. It is the addition of the number of enemies killed (Kill) and the number of Enemies you helped kill (Assists) divided by the number of dead (Death)…. But let’s not get lost! K/DA is a virtual K-pop group that takes its name from this statistic as a nod to lol fans. Founded in 2018, this girl band consists of only 4 playable Moba characters: Ahri, Evelyn, Akali and Kai’Sa. Real singers embody the characters by interpreting the music. Evelynn had the voice of American singer Madison Beer on the songs Pop/Stars and More and was then replaced by Bea Miller. For Kai’Sa, it’s Jaira Burns who starts the first two songs, who is also replaced by another singer: Wolftyla. Akali and Ahri are still followed by the same South Korean singers: Soyeon and Miyeon from K-pop group (G)-Idle. However, the singers have already been switched to some tracks from their mini-album (EP) All out, suggesting that the real people impersonating their voices may change regularly on specific occasions. The music videos only feature the dancing 3D modeled characters that move like real singers. A few concerts took place and these were the real singers who were joined on stage by video and on the big screens by their avatars.
Is the group K/DA really K-Pop?
Due to its composition, half South Korean and half Western singers, the question of whether this musical group can be called K-pop has often been raised. Some fans comment that this is not the case as K/DA was founded by an American company and half of the members are non-Koreans. Others believe that the production of K-pop isn’t just about the origins of the members and the production. The only answer we can get is from various Riot employees. Whether it’s for Patrick Morales, creative director of Riot, composer Sebastien Najand (the POP/STARS song), or Viranda Tantula (then creative director)… there’s unanimous agreement: K/DA isn’t meant to be a K-pop group. They took a lot of musical inspiration from K-pop, but also from pop in general.. Riot wanted to create a musical mix that appealed to everyone without trying to pigeonhole them all. K/DA brings out many aspects of K-Pop (clips, choreography, lyrics…) but doesn’t define itself as such.
That doesn’t stop fans from supporting these virtual idols as if they were an authentic K-pop group. As is often the case in the Korean music industry, K/DA gave their fans a name: “Sound‘ and has a glow stick (a glowing stick unique in design to each K-Pop group that is used to be waved in rhythm at a concert). Each member has their own personality as well as different functions. For example, Ahri is the leader of the group and the lead singer. There are even fan names for each of the members, like the Deeva, who are Evelynn’s fans.
Why was the K/DA Virtual Group formed?
Riot is not the first attempt when it comes to the music industry and its universe. Each year, the North American company works with music groups to celebrate the opening of their major world championships and create an annual anthem. Ever more ambitious, Riot didn’t stop there. Highlighting the potential and impact of this hugely popular game highlighted the creativity that characterizes this company. The proof, while lol’s skins are primarily a way to give a character a different look, they also tell a story. For example, fans became accustomed to the awesome music videos with the introduction of the Jinx character in 2013. So it’s no surprise that lol gamers could see all the characters with a pentakill skin forming a metal band and mini-album publish . An experience so positive and enriching that once again there was no question for Riot to stop there.
It should be noted that Koreans are particularly fond of League of Legends. South Korea is home to a large number of LOL players with a highly developed esports scene. According to many fans, the best lol player in the world is Korean and is called Faker. When Riot discovered the world of K-Pop, this project made immediate sense to them. The ideas came together very quickly and were based on Arhi’s pop star skin released in 2013. It seemed obvious that this character would be the leader of the group. Everything was built pretty quickly around Arhi.
K/DA allowed Riot to tap into its universe and connect with fans. They used a sophisticated transmedia that allowed them to reach an extremely wide audience: South Korea, K-Pop fans and pop music in general. This extravagant music project also brought characters to life by bringing them closer to reality. In addition to being a virtual music group, the K/DAs have given interviews, shot videos and collaborated with luxury brands. Riot doesn’t just sell skins with this band, it has created a whole universe around this band that thrives on fans. Many derivative products are always available to show his dedication and love for the group.
The Future of the K/DA Group
At this point, we’re not certain of the group’s comeback in 2023, as many fans around the world are hoping for.. We were able to see new ways of portraying the characters of the K/DA group, particularly from Séraphine’s point of view. This virtual singer, who has collaborated with the group on several occasions, has used social networks to show her daily life. We were able to see the group on several occasions as if they really existed, so impressive was the natural staging performance.
K/DA is not only a gift for fans of all kinds, but also an extremely profitable tool that only expands the already gigantic horizons of this legendary video game genre that is League of Legends.
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