Odetari and Lay Bankz Team Up on New Single “RUN” for VALORANT
Unveiling a new era for their highly-anticipated first-person shooter VALORANT, Riot Games is bringing the title to PlayStation 5 and XBox Series X. To celebrate, the studio tapped one of underground EDM’s most prolific artists, Odetari, and rap darling Lay Bankz.
The Ultimate Collaboration
Riot Games is no stranger to sourcing promising talent for VALORANT music projects. After all, the studio has become a favorite among gamers and music enthusiasts alike for their impressive catalog. Past collaborators range from the K-pop rookie darlings KISS OF LIFE to global phenomenon XG. Each release highlights the signature styles of collaborators, with Odetari offering glitchy soundscapes.
If this is the first time you’re hearing the name Odetari, look no further than hit songs like “NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER,” and “I LOVE YOU HOE.” Underground EDM has found quite the lucrative spot across social media platforms ushering artists like Kanii, 9Lives, and jnhygs. As with any Odetari song, “RUN” ushers in his unapologetic distorted production with heavy use of autotune. Lyrics like “I love it when you hide, I been looking for you long time” bring listeners into an intense cat-and-mouse chase. The playful use of 8-bit synths dance across the production as Odetari switches between vocal frys and singing.
The song was first teased on TikTok with fans suggesting who the Palestinian rapper from Houston should collaborate with. Though Lay Bankz was an unexpected team up, both Odetari and Lay Bankz have a knack for instantly catchy vocal performances. And if Lay Bankz could be described in one word, it’s versatile. While many are familiar with the sounds of her slick 2024 R&B hit “Tell Ur Girlfriend,” she steps completely into Odetari’s world in “RUN.” Her verse is braggadocious yet playful, and tasteful autotune mixed with her rap-singing prime listeners for a vocal treat.
Exciting Fans with Incursion
VALORANT paired the release with a brand new cinematic for fans. Meshing impressive sound design with “RUN,” the cinematic starts off with Jett, a Korean duelist who wields knives. She is attacked by an alternative version of herself and is awoken from a nightmare. However, this is a common occurrence for her. The cinematic is a visual feast, featuring three different maps that are available to fans in game. A team of five members are rallied as Killjoy, a German tech, and share the news that there is an “Omega Incursion.” To win a VALORANT game, an offensive team will have to plant spikes into a zone across the map. If the defensive team fails to diffuse this, they will in turn lose the game.
The cinematic highlights the most exciting aspects of VALORANT’s gameplay through quick edits, breakneck actions, and expressive agents. Riot manages to ramp up the action by including cameos of some of VALORANT’s most beloved characters. Though fans get to see many of the agents from the game, characters like Deadlock, Raze, and Gekko turn up the heat with ultimate abilities. Bullets fly from opposing sides — a thick and fierce battle that makes it difficult for viewers to turn their heads. However, the cinematic never fails to show off the personalities of its characters as we are brought back to Jett, who once again faces her alternative self. Ending on a cliffhanger, the cinematic quickly cuts to the VALORANT logo.
From Beta to Release
VALORANT was officially launched on console on August 2, with its beta opening on July 26. The game is now available on the PlayStation and XBox store for free.
Watch VALORANT’s “INCURSIONS” cinematic on YouTube and listen to “RUN” on Spotify and Apple Music.
Want to dig into more of Valorant’s collaborations with Asian artists? Read our recap of XG’s “UNDEFEATED” here!
