Everything We Know About the New Arcane Soundtrack
On September 12, Riot Games and Virgin Music Group released a long-awaited update about the upcoming Arcane (2021) season two soundtrack. The highly-anticipated news generated ample buzz as fans of the show and mentioned artists alike flocked to social media. With features ranging from Stray Kids to Ashnikko, the upcoming album promises a new wave of catchy releases.
The Hunt is Over
As Arcane declared on X: the hunt for the new album is (almost) over. After years of waiting and speculation, the 20-track record that will accompany the next Arcane season was revealed. Not a detail was spared: the announcement publicized all the featured artists, song titles and track lengths.
Overall, the soundtrack is impressively diverse — it includes South Korean boy group Stray Kids, Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko, French singer Pomme and American duo twenty one pilots, among many others. In particular, the announcement of Stromae’s participation made waves online. Any project the Belgian singer-songwriter cosigns is held to the highest regard by his loyal fanbase. “Arcane’s groundbreaking approach to music inspired an incredibly diverse group of artists from many genres, languages, and cultures who wanted to be part of this new season. We also wanted to represent the global reach of League of Legends by working with artists from all around the world,” Maria Egan, Global Head of Music at Riot Games, explained in a press statement.
The soundtrack’s lead single came out on September 5. “Paint the Town Blue” by Ashnikko is sixth on the tracklist, but was the first song from the album to go public. It’s a punchy, empowering anthem that is intricately tied with the series protagonist Jinx and her journey. As per a press statement, “The music from Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 (Soundtrack From the Animated Series) is designed to capture the emotional depth of these beloved characters and enhance the storytelling experience.”
Music for Storytelling
Everyone who participated in the soundtrack has an existing relationship with League of Legends, Arcane or developer Riot Games. Each song was crafted with one of the upcoming season’s many emotional pivots in min. Intentional, meaningful instrumentals and lyrics will bring the second and final season of Arcane to life. “We’re very passionate about Arcane and League of Legends,” K-pop group Stray Kids shared in a press statement. “Our single ‘Come Play’ has a dynamic taste to it, bringing all sorts of voices and languages together. We enjoy playing [League of Legends], and we’re excited for fans to hear this song and see the second season of Arcane!”
With that in mind, we anticipate a lot of angst, despair and power to dominate the soundtrack. Based on sneak previews, it seems that Arcane’s finale will be an emotional rollercoaster. As Jinx and Vi engage in their biggest fight yet, no one will be safe from conflict.
Keep up with the latest on Arcane on Instagram, X or Facebook.
Want to learn more about “Paint the Town Blue” by Ashnikko? Read the breakdown and explore the second Arcane trailer here!
