League of Legends Introduces New Virtual Boy Group HEARTSTEEL with Debut Single ‘Paranoia’
Hot on the heels of K/DA, EXO’s Baekyun and LA-based rapper Cal Scruby lend their voices to the members of HEARTSTEEL.
Update:
Following the teaser of their debut last week, virtual boy group HEARTSTEEL has made their debut with the single ‘Paranoia’. The animated music video for ‘Paranoia’, released on October 23 by Riot Games, showcases the six members of HEARTSTEEL in an action-packed cityscape, speeding by in sportscars. The track itself combines elements of hip-hop and rap, layered onto a catchy electronic-pop melody.
Ezreal, voiced by Baekhyun of EXO, takes the position of lead vocalist. Kayn is one of the group’s rappers and instrumentalists, Aphelios is an instrumentalist and songwriter, and Yone is HEARTSTEEL’s producer. The co-leaders of the band, K’Sante and Sett take on vocalist and rapper positions, respectively.
Watch the MV for ‘Paranoia’ below:
Original, October 19:
Hot on the heels of K/DA’s success, League of Legends (LoL) has announced the upcoming debut of another virtual band. This time, LoL will be unveiling a boy group of six members, made up of cherished LoL champions namely Ezreal, Kayn, Aphelios, Yone, K’Sante, and Sett. Remarkably, EXO’s Baekhyun will be lending his voice and persona to champion Ezreal.
Aside from Ezreal, other characters from LoL will be collaborating with musicians from the real world. Kayn’s voice will come from Cal Scruby, a rapper based in Los Angeles, K’Sante’s voice is derived from the vocal prowess of Tobi Lou, an R&B artist from Chicago, and Sett’s persona is borrowed from Taiwanese-American singer and rapper ØZI. Aphelios and Yone, however, will not be based on any real-life musician’s voice or identity. HEARTSTEEL’s first music release will reach the public via YouTube on October 23, with their debut single Paranoia.
This venture into virtual music combines the characteristics of the dynamic champions from the LoL universe with the artistry of real-life musicians. Baekhyun’s involvement in HEARTSTEEL is not the first time a K-pop idol has lent their talents to the world of LoL. K/DA, which first made its debut in 2018, has four female members, and (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon and Miyeon voice Akali and Ahri respectively. The remaining two members of K/DA – Evelynn and Kai’Sa – are voiced by Madison Beer and Jaira Burns. The girl group’s song POP/STARS quickly became a hit, with the MV picking up over 560 million views on YouTube.
Earlier this month, the ever-trendy girl group NewJeans also collaborated with LoL. The "Super Shy" singers released the anthem, titled GODS, for the game’s World Championships this year, taking place from October 10 to the grand finals on November 19. They are the first K-pop act to provide the anthem for the global championships, in the 10 years since the first anthem was presented at Worlds.
