Charting new territories: How K-pop and gaming are poised for explosive growth in the next era
As K-pop artists increasingly collaborate with gaming platforms, both industries are creating immersive experiences for fans worldwide
K-pop’s global dominance is not confined to just the music charts; it extends its influence into a variety of areas, including the dynamic landscape of the gaming industry. With a combination of memorable tunes, extravagant music videos, complicated dance routines, and mesmerizing stage presence, K-pop has transcended traditional musical boundaries to become a cultural phenomenon with far-reaching impacts.
Soft power unleashed
K-pop’s worldwide significance is mostly due to its soft power, which is the capacity to sway opinions and affect people’s preferences by cultural attraction and appeal rather than coercion. K-pop employs soft power by offering a compelling cultural package that goes beyond music and includes images, clothes, and lifestyle.
K-pop’s Global Impact — A Blend of Music, Culture, and Community
K-pop has become a universal sensation, luring viewers with its high quality produced Mv and catchy songs. K-pop conveys important messages about women empowerment, mental health, and social issues in addition to their eye-catching dance moves and alluring music. K-pop artists accomplish global acknowledgement due to their extraordinary talent, dedication, and hard work that pushes themself to another level.
A key contributor to K-pop’s success is its devoted fandoms, or “stans,” who create a global community through social media and streaming platforms. Their passion not only forms a special bond but also propels artists to viral fame, expanding their fan base.
K-pop artists are influential trendsetters in fashion, making daring costume choices that range from streetwear to stunning stage outfits. Their ability to effortlessly carry any outfit, coupled with their stunning visuals and skilled makeup techniques applied by makeup artists, has elevated them to global fashion ambassador status. This recognition has led to partnerships with renowned brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Dior, and others.
Joint-partnership between K-pop artists and well-known international artists have broadened their worldwide reach, fostering cultural interchange and introducing new fans to both worlds. These cross-cultural combinations result in breaking the charts, solidifying K-pop’s status as a major force in international music.
Game partnerships and collaborations
K/DA — POP/STARS (ft. Madison Beer, (G)I-DLE, Jaira Burns) | Music Video — League of Legends
Several examples below showcase the successful partnerships between K-pop groups and gaming companies.
K/DA and League of Legends
K/DA, the virtual girl group from League of Legends, gained immense popularity with their debut single “POP/STARS,” surpassing hundreds millions of views and streams. Singers in the group including Soyeon and Miyeon from (G)I-DLE, Madison Beer, and Jaira Burns, K/DA expanded their success with the release of the EP “All Out” in 2020. The group’s name, K/DA, is derived from the Kill/Death/Assist statistic in League of Legends.
Their initial track, “POP/STARS,” achieved №1 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales. Following Riot Games’ commitment to the project, K/DA returned with the title song “The Baddest,” securing another №1 spot on World Digital Song Sales. Despite being a virtual group, K/DA has staged live performances, garnered a dedicated fandom known as “Blade,” and introduced merchandise, including lightsticks and official fanclub cards for sale.
In a collaboration with long-time partner Louis Vuitton, K/DA’s presence extended to the shop, as evidenced by an Instagram post featuring the K/DA girls and Seraphine during the launch of the trophy for The 2020 Worlds.
New Jeans X League of Legends
GODS ft. NewJeans (뉴진스) (Official Music Video) | Worlds 2023 Anthem — League of Legends
In the new era, Riot Games created a buzz by announcing a groundbreaking collaboration with K-pop sensation NewJeans for the Worlds 2023 anthem, “Gods,” marking the first time a K-pop act performed the tournament anthem. Maria Egan, Riot’s Global Head of Music and Events, revealed the strategic decision during the Worlds 2023 finals media day in Seoul, South Korea, on November 15.
According to Maria, the choice to partner with NewJeans aimed to pay homage to the host country, South Korea, by featuring a K-pop artist. Impressed by NewJeans’ “massive global ascendancy,” Riot sought a collaboration on the “Gods” anthem, described as a “really traditional and very iconic League anthem sound.” Maria highlighted the desire for a fresh twist on the anthem, expressing gratitude that NewJeans was enthusiastic about the collaboration.
NewJeans, the all-girl group from ADOR, made their debut in 2022, known for hits like “Attention,” “Hype Boy,” “OMG,” and “Super Shy,” the group’s collaboration with Riot Games further solidifies their status in the global music scene.
The success of release
League of Legends (LOL) and K-pop artists have collaborated and achieved incredible accomplishments. K/DA — POP/STARS has achieved significant success, with currently over 580 million views on YouTube and over 330 streams on Spotify. Within 24 hours of its debut, NewJeans’s LoL world anthem “Gods’’ received 7.8 million views on YouTube. The song peaked at №1 on YouTube’s most popular trending video in Korea and at №46 globally.
There are several factors why these collaborations are successful, one of them is the substantial fan base shared between League of Legends enthusiasts and K-pop fans. With over 1 million active players in just one hour and over 136 million players globally, League of Legends has enormous popularity. When combined with K-pop fans, these fan bases from the two fandoms greatly enhance the music release’s success.
The future of K-pop and gaming industry
As we look at a few examples of K-pop collaboration with the gaming industry, it is anticipated that K-pop and esports partnership will grow much more internationally in 2024. The future cooperation between the gaming industry and K-pop is expected to redefine the limitations of cross-border cultural exchange in the world of gaming industry and strengthen the fandoms in both communities.
Sources:
https://trendingblend.com/k-pops-global-impact/
https://joe-bel.com/dissecting-the-rise-of-k-pops-global-dominance
https://wegotthiscovered.com/gaming/the-8-best-k-pop-and-video-game-collaborations-of-all-time/
https://www.oneesports.gg/league-of-legends/newjeans-riot-games-collab/
https://www.jeab.com/life/trendy-life/the-hottest-kpop-girlgroup-kda
