An In-depth Analysis of Phoenix, 2019’s League of Legends Hype Song

As season 9 of League of Legends comes to a close, the best of the best League players from each region compete for a chance at the Summoner’s Cup and a prize of $2,225,000 as a new World theme song sets the tone.

This year, however, Riot Games fell behind schedule in their release of the League of Legends esports event theme, “Phoenix”. Riot Games apologized and explained that the delay was due to them making sure that the song was ready.

Their explanation didn’t satisfy the League community. There have even been some theories that contradict Riot’s explanation. One theory says that “Phoenix” originally included Bjergsen, the mid-laner for Team Solo Mid (TSM), but had to be removed when TSM failed to make it to worlds.

And when the song was finally released last month, many were left disappointed in the quality, believing it to be one of the weaker themes to date.

Here’s why “Phoenix” is one of the best and most powerful themes to be released.

First and foremost I want to take a moment to look at the title of the song. When you put it into context, this in itself already makes this song a masterpiece. 

What is a phoenix? A phoenix is a legendary,immortal bird, wondrous in beauty, that would ignite itself in a glorious inferno before awakening to rise up from the ashes.  Now think about that, and let’s look at the titles of songs Riot has released in the past three years:

“Ignite”- Zedd | League of Legends Worlds 2016

“Legends Never Die” (ft. Against the Current) | League of Legends Worlds 2017

“RISE” (ft. The Glitch Mob, Mako, and The Word Alive) | League of Legends Worlds 2018

“Awaken” (ft. Valerie Broussard) | League of Legends 2019 Season 9 Cinematic

In one word, “Phoenix” has recaptured the essence of the previous three seasons, and with “Awaken” setting the scene for 2019, “Phoenix” is in a good place to close out the year strong.  

Now I’ll let you all in on a little secret: even though we’ve already discussed the masterful application of the title, the way to crack this song wide open and find its beautiful message, lies all in its lyrics.  It sounds simple I know, but you’d be surprised how many people listen to songs without realizing what its lyrics are or understanding what they mean.  

“Phoenix” - Riot Games ft. Cailin Russo and Chrissy Costanza

What are you willing to lose?

You cover your wounds, but underneath them

A million voices in your head that whisper, “Stop, now”

Another twist of the knife, a turn of the screws

It’s all in your mind and it’s fighting you

Arm yourself, a storm is coming

Well, kid ...

What you gonna do now?

It’s your reflection looking back to pull you down

So are you gonna die today or make it out alive?

You gotta conquer the monster in your head and then you’ll fly

Fly, Phoenix, fly

It’s time for a new empire

Go bury your demons then tear down the ceiling

Phoenix, fly

And now you’re playing with matches, come out of the ashes

Underneath you, a million voices in the crowd they’re screaming, “Stop, now”

Well let ‘em swallow their pride, you’re turning the tide to true believers

Got them in the palm of your hand, you’re playing God now

What you gonna do now?

It’s your reflection looking back to pull you down

So are you gonna die today or make it out alive?

You gotta conquer the monster in your head and then you’ll fly

Fly, Phoenix, fly

It’s time for a new empire

Go bury your demons then tear down the ceiling

Phoenix, fly

So are you gonna die today or make it out alive?

You gotta conquer the monster in your head and then you’ll fly

Fly, Phoenix, fly

It’s time for a new empire

Go bury your demons then tear down the ceiling

Phoenix, fly”

When we take time to analyze these lyrics, we very quickly see from the first verse that this entire song talks about the mental game in League of Legends.  In my opinion, at least 80% of playing LoL IS part of this mental game, while no more than 20% is actually raw, mechanical skill. Mechanics alone can net you those flashy plays that everyone gets excited to see in montages and can get you a decent way up the ranked ladder. But in order to actually set up those plays, the majority of LoL is a thinking game: being able to outsmart your opponents, engaging in macroplay, leadership, teamwork, and calling the shots to achieve victory on the rift, all while remaining untiltable.  

In the video, the song highlights three players in particular: IG Rookie (LPL), G2 Caps (LEC), and SKT T1 Faker (LCK). Of course, this song applies to everyone else as well. These three players are all mid-laners for their respective teams, and in turn, their respective regions, China, Europe, and Korea.

We also see the League of Legends champions that are iconic to these players, as these champions represent them: Lissandra for Rookie, Irelia for Caps, and Karma for Faker.  On top of all of this, we what are essentially glitches: a dark corruption force taking over the players and their respective champions, creating a kind of ‘photo-negative’ incarnation of each.

The symbolism around this is key to the message of the song. But let’s dive even further into the lyrics to see make this song a masterpiece.  

What are you willing to lose? You cover your wounds, but underneath them, a million voices in your head that whisper, ‘Stop, now.’

This is referring to both the players’ psyche and overcoming the looming corruption of doubt (which is what I believe the glitched “photo negatives” that we see in the video to be. They’re fighting versions of themselves that have been corrupted by negativity and doubt). The “million voices in their heads, whispering to them to stop,” lyric is parallel to another line in the song where it says.

And now you're playing with matches, come out of the ashes, underneath you, a million voices in the crowd they're screaming, ‘Stop, now.’

This time the voices are in the crowd, “screaming”, which represents the millions of fans and patrons of the game— those watching the esports scenes each year and following the journeys of each of the teams as they look to make their marks in history.

The players, and especially those who have choked performance-wise in previous showings at worlds, definitely have to contend with and battle not only their own doubts but the doubts of their fans, wondering if hope is lost, wondering if their teams are washed up. 

These lines parallel with the respective stories of not only those featured in the video for “Phoenix” but almost all of the current world’s participants.  

Several times throughout the song we keep seeing these lines repeated:

“It’s your reflection looking back to pull you down. So are you gonna die today or make it out alive? You gotta conquer the monster in your head and then you’ll fly. Fly, phoenix, fly. It’s time for a new empire. Go bury your demons, then tear down the ceiling, Phoenix, fly.”

The chorus of this song is perfect for capturing the whole motif of fighting negativity and emerging victorious from the battle, rising up like a phoenix from the ashes.  For a lot of the players at worlds, they have to worry about their careers, and with each showing at Worlds without the chance to claim the Summoner’s Cup, it can definitely take its toll. 

If they give up and give in to doubt, they’ll never be able to achieve their dreams on the highest stage. Previous seasons of Worlds have shown that the gap is closing between the Asian ‘superpowers’ from Korea and China and the rest of the world. Superteams from other regions have risen up to claim their titles, to forge new empires which have been so long dominated by SKT T1 and the other Korean and Chinese representatives. 

Even yesterday, we saw G2, a European superteam, take down the titan that is SKT in their semifinals series, which means that this year’s world finals will be between G2 Esports, and FunPlus Phoenix; Europe versus China.  

The tension is definitely on for what will be an immensely hyped finals because the last time a European team won Worlds was season 1 in 2011, by Fnatic. The last time a European even showed in finals was last year in 2018 when Fnatic faced off against and lost to Invictus Gaming, another Chinese team. 

Now G2 carries the hopes of Europe and the hopes of all the western regions alike as we could have the Summoner’s Cup hoisted by a western team in over 7 years.  

The League of Legends esports final event will take place Sunday, November 10th at 7:00 AM Eastern. The Opening Ceremony of the League event always features a live performance of the World’s theme. 

I hope with this analysis of “Phoenix” that you will also enjoy it with this fresh, new take on the World’s song which so many have, in my opinion, dismissed prematurely.  

Editor’s Note: The past couple of weeks has also featured many artists and their own takes on Phoenix in a more musical sense, as the song already has several covers and remixes in varying styles, and I recommend you check them out and show them some love as well.