Mike Shinoda and the rest of Linkin Park explained how the collaboration between the group and Riot came about.

With the biggest night of the year for League of Legends (LoL) is just around the corner, esports and music fans are buzzing as Linkin Park prepares to play the 2024 League of Legends World Championship hymn, “The crown is heavy», live in Opening ceremony of the grand final of the 2024 World Cup.

This marks an exciting moment for fans who grew up listening to Linkin Park and playing LoL. The band’s return to the stage is even more poignant after a long hiatus since the death of singer Chester Bennington in 2017.

On Global Media Day, Maria Egan, Global Head of Music at Riot Games, sat down with Linkin Park to discuss their return, the making of “Heavy is the Crown,” and what’s next. the horizon for the group.

Mike Shinoda was candid when asked how the group felt about performing at Worlds. “(I was) so nervous,” Shinoda admitted. “It feels like a different type of experience, yes, it’s different from our usual gig.”

The return of Linkin Park and the making of “Heavy is the Crown”

Egan praised the collaboration, stating that “Riot is really proud to be part of this incredible return to the spotlight.” She recounted her first conversations with Shinoda when the project was still a closely guarded secret.

When asked about the excitement surrounding the collaboration with Riot, Shinoda explained, “We had to tell you our secret first.” He revealed that he has known several people from Riot for years, including co-founder Brandon Beck.

“I’ve had a relationship with people at Riot for a while…Brandon Beck and I would talk from time to time, and eventually I met Christian (Linke) from Arcane,” he added. Over time, Shinoda connected with people from Riot’s Worlds, Arcane, and VALORANT teams, even noting that VALORANT is “one of (his) favorite games.”

As Linkin Park began creating new music, conversations with Riot about worlds became “almost natural” as the group and Riot shared a common creative vision. “There’s a lot of synergy between the way they look at things creatively and the things we do creatively,” he explained.

In response to a question from TechStorm’s Kenneth Lim about what message “Heavy is the Crown” would send to non-gaming fans, band member Dave responded: “That’s a great question. I think for fans From games to non-fans, our approach to music has always been about connection.

“So with this album in general, and The crown is heavy in particular, I think it already works. You know, people can connect to it, they can know that they’re not alone,” he added.

“I think one of the best aspects of music in general, at least in my life, is that it has allowed me to create an emotional connection with the world around me in a safe way, exciting and fun, to feel a community and It’s kind of everything we ever wanted to do with music, and with this song in particular, I think people connect to it in that way, and I hope this continues.”

Egan also highlighted the success of the anthem: Heavy is the Crown quickly became the most-watched global anthem, amassing nearly 10 million views in its first day and over 360 million streams. Joe Hahn, confident in the impact of the song, said: “I expect it to go even further… The DNA of Riot, League of Legends and Worlds fits well with the history of the band.”

“Our audience grew up playing Nintendo, then moved on to consoles, PC games and now, you know, games like League of Legends. Seeing this atmosphere of competition and the love of the game sticks to us. We love when fans are excited about what we do, and with Riot, the passion, the storytelling, the visuals – it all made so much sense.

In a moment of levity, Mike teased Joe Hahn about the possibility of seeing Joe Hahn-inspired cosplay, sparking laughter. Emily chimed in, mentioning that Colin Brittain, the band’s drummer, is an avid cosplayer. “Colin loves cosplay. He’s really good at it.

Despite the gentle nudging, Colin has kept his cosplay interests a secret. “Sorry guys, we tried,” Shinoda laughed.

Heavy is the Crown will have a special Arcane Season 2 release

Egan also revealed that Heavy is the Crown had two versions. The first, already known as the anthem of the 2024 World Cup, will be joined by a second version specially designed for the next season of Arcane, the Netflix animated series from Riot.

During the interview, Mike and his bandmate Emily explained how the second version came to be. “We love the show,” Mike explained. “The opportunity to contribute arose while they were writing for the film. I got in a room with some of the music team and wrote a part related to Heavy is the Crown. The two elements sort of evolved together, and Emily sang it both ways.

Emily added: “It was actually harder to sing it softly… really difficult. Really, really calm.

What’s next for Linkin Park?

Looking ahead, Egan explained how at the band’s recent show in Los Angeles, the audience was a mix of longtime fans and new ones. Mike added: “I asked the audience who had seen the band before and who hadn’t – it was about 50-50. » Colin also revealed what’s next: “We have an album coming out on November 15th and we’re really excited.” The group has also planned a program of international concerts, with stops in Paris, Dallas, Bogotá and Brazil.

The 2024 Worlds will begin at 2:00 p.m. GMT (10:00 p.m. Singapore Time, 7:00 a.m. PST), with performances from Ashnikko, Mars Atlas of Forts, Tiffany Aris and headliners Linkin Park. Fans can expect an epic showdown as defending champions T1 face the LPL powerhouse Bilibili Gaming in the grand finale.