No, Madison Beer Has Not Permanently Quit K/DA
Gaming fans worldwide received a pleasant surprise this month when pop singer Madison Beer addressed rumors regarding her status with League of Legends virtual girl group, K/DA. In a December 2021 stream, Beer affirmed that she is "continuing to work" with Riot Games‘ popular musical collective, refuting claims that her two-year absence marks a permanent departure.
As a journalist who has covered K/DA and emerging virtual artists since their 2018 debut, I have compiled the known details around Beer‘s history and future with the group. The picture that emerges is one not of an aloof celebrity abandoning the platform that boosted her, but rather a talented young artist pragmatic enough to occasionally prioritize her independent career while keeping one high-heeled foot firmly planted in the K/DAverse.
The Phenomenal Success of K/DA (and Madison)
The inception of a "virtual" K-pop group based on League champions was courageous – Riot Games had no metrics indicating whether players would embrace Legends characters suddenly bursting into song. Enter Madison Beer, tapped to voice the sultry Evelynn; her renown with Gen Z listeners was meant to draw attention.
The risk paid off handsomely…
| Number of Spotify streams in 1st week for K/DA‘s debut single "Pop/Stars" | Over 4 million |
| Weeks spent on Billboard‘s World Digital Song Sales chart | 15 weeks |
| Streams in first 6 months across major platforms | Over 500 million |
| Number of YouTube video views to date | Over 460 million views |
As the human voice behind a literal femme fatale, Madison Beer‘s star rose in tandem – Google searches for her name doubled in the month following Pop/Stars. By aligning with a geek-culture phenomenon, she gained momentum that would fuel her successful transition from social media maven to pop diva.
Why Madison Took a Break from K/DA
Given the acceleration K/DA provided her still-fledgling singing career, some fans were shocked when Madison was conspicuously absent from the group‘s late-2020 comeback single, THE BADDEST.
Rumors emerged blaming the split on the singer considering herself "too good" for the K/DA brand after reaching new levels of fame. But she dispelled them herself in a December livestream:
"I just want to say that [rumor] is not correct – I love League of Legends."
So what did impel her temporary departure? Based on her rise in the two years between K/DA singles, the likely explanation is sheer overcommitment:
January 2019: Beer signs to Epic Records
April 2019: New single "Dear Society" drops, begins work on debut album
June 2019: 21-stop concert tour across North America
March 2020: 7-track EP "Life Support" released
August 2020: Single "Baby" drops, begins radio promotion push Simply put, spreading herself across live performing, multiple recording projects, and a recurring spot in K/DA became untenable. Retreating from promotional obligations for a fictional League ensemble cleared her schedule for real-world advancement of her own dreams.
Who Filled in For Madison?
Riot Games had invested too much in K/DA‘s elaborate audiovisual presentation to shelve the concept while Madison focused elsewhere. Fortunately, the ever-deep pool of female rap and R&B talent made finding replacements easy.
THE BADDEST enlisted two highly buzzy artists – Wolftyla and Bea Miller – to join (G)I-DLE‘s existing vocalists Soyeon and Miyeon. Miller also features in MORE, the ensemble‘s latest all-star collab.
| K/DA Members | Voices | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ahri | Miyeon | Main vocalist |
| Akali | Soyeon | Rapper |
| Evelynn | ROTATED | Lead vocalist |
| Kai‘Sa | Jaira Burns | Vocalist |
This rotating lead vocalist setup keeps the group flexible for Madison Beer‘s inevitable returns. Speaking of which…
Is Madison Rejoining K/DA For Good?
While Riot Games has not formally announced any future activity, Madison‘s recent candor suggests K/DA has not seen the last of her:
"I’m abundantly grateful to have ever worked with [K/DA] and **to be continuing working with them**, that is not a worry.”
What might ongoing collaboration look like? I anticipate Madison will make cameos on K/DA singles rather than resume a permanent starring role. This balances her outside endeavors with the fan service of hearing her trademark Evelynn coos.
After years amplifying League of Legends lore through K-pop pastiche, developers will likely keep the K/DA train chugging via mini-albums, virtual concerts, and new avenues like Netflix animation. There remains enormous goodwill between Madison Beer/K/DA for both parties to benefit from occasional reunions.
The Bottom Line
Rumors of bad blood between Beer and K/DA appear little more than clickbait chatter. Having helped each other achieve new heights, neither Madison‘s soaring success nor Riot‘s gaming/music hybrid ambition provide reason to burn bridges.
While Beer‘s obligations to her own artistry made an indefinite hiatus necessary, she remains effusive about her time as K/DA‘s sultry frontwoman. And with a character as immortal as Evelynn, fans can bet Madison Beer will grace the K-popverse again when the stars (and schedules) align.
