League of Legends K-pop group K/DA returns with new song ‘The Baddest’

Riot Games’ smash-hit League of Legends K-pop group K/DA are set to make a comeback two years after their original 2018 track “POP/STARS,” with plans to debut new pre-release single “The Baddest” on Thursday, August 27.

K/DA confirmed their return on Twitter on August 20, sharing a single image of their group’s logo alongside a date. The fictional K-pop group has also confirmed their latest offering will be a “pre-release single” called “The Baddest.”

The group’s “The Baddest” announcement also came with another slice of good news for K/DA fans; two years after their formation, the group has finally joined social media. K/DA’s Twitter account already boasts around 32k followers.

League fans should be able to tune in to hear the latest K/DA single on August 27. The track premieres at 3pm EST / 12pm PST / 8pm ET / 5am AEST (Aug. 28).

The faux K-pop quartet is made up of Madison Beer, Miyeon, Soyen of (G)I-DLE, and Jaira Burns, all of whom ‘play’ League of Legends champions. Riot has not yet confirmed if the original K/DA lineup has all returned.

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K/DA first made their debut ahead of the 2018 League of Legends World Championship. The fictional group’s first track, “POP/STARS,” shot them to surprise global fame on the charts.

Two years later, the LoL musical group boasts over 362 million views on the song’s YouTube music video. They also made their performing debut at Worlds 2018, where the original four appeared as Evelynn, Ahri, Akali, and Kai’Sa respectively.

The K/DA “#COMEBACK” comes just days after creators Riot Games penned a hefty music deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. The partnership includes six new tracks being produced to promote the Worlds 2020 finals.

Riot also held an esports-themed camp in July with fourteen UMPG artists as part of the new deal. The camp participants included Gong, Chiyo, GMAs winner Matzka, and more.

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The six-song deal could also see the return of virtual hip-hop group True Damage, who premiered “GIANTS” for Worlds 2019. Soyeon, who plays Akali in K/DA, was involved in the second LoL group as part of a “spinoff project.”

Riot has yet to confirm any of the other six League of Legends tracks beyond the new KDA single, however. It’s likely the virtual K-pop group will get multiple releases, considering “The Baddest” is a being dubbed a “pre-release single.”

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Real-life K-pop groups often release pre-release singles on the comeback trail to build hype. This is usually followed by a series of tracks, either in a short three-song single, or for an EP or full album. KDA could even drop six new songs!

The 2020 League of Legends World Championship will begin on Sep. 25 in Shanghai. The final will be held on Nov. 10. The event will have no live ceremony but Riot will still host some form of pre-match musical performance.