LE SSERAFIM Breaks From Epic Game-Music Tropes With 'Made My Night'

K-POP girl group LE SSERAFIM is taking a different approach to music made in collaboration with video games. Instead of the grand, dramatic sound often heard in K-POP game tie-ins, the group has built its two "Overwatch 2" collaborations around light, easy-to-sing pop.

LE SSERAFIM recently released its second single album, “Made My Night,” a project track created in collaboration with the game “Overwatch 2.” It marks the group’s third musical collaboration with the game, following “Perfect Night,” released in 2023, and “So Cynical (Badum),” released last year. However, unlike the other two tracks, “So Cynical (Badum)” was not created specifically for the game. It was originally included on the group’s fifth mini album, “HOT,” and was used mainly for a promotional trailer in which the game’s characters previewed part of the song.

K-POP and game collaborations have often leaned on grand, cinematic sound. Songs like "POP/STARS," made by group i-dle members Soyeon and Miyeon with "League of Legends," and "GODS," featuring NewJeans, are notable examples. Both used orchestral textures, heavy bass and sharp electronic sounds to match the intensity of in-game battle scenes.

"Made My Night" moves in the opposite direction. It is a bright, upbeat pop dance track built on a house rhythm, designed so casual listeners can enjoy and sing along even if they do not follow the group or the game. Rather than dramatizing a battlefield, the song repeats a simple, catchy melody. There are no high belted notes, which keeps it easy on the ear and easy to sing.

The same approach shaped "Perfect Night." The song was released as a light, easy-listening pop track and helped raise the group's profile in the U.S. It reached No. 18 on Billboard's Global 200 and No. 8 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, staying on the charts for 15 consecutive weeks. It also reached Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.

LE SSERAFIM also took a different approach in its music videos. The members appear on screen themselves and interact with the game's characters, creating a point of connection for both music fans and gamers. In the "Made My Night" video, the game's heroes rescue the members after they are abducted. In "Perfect Night," the characters scramble to make it to a LE SSERAFIM concert on time.

That choice stands out. Many K-POP game collaborations put game characters front and center instead of the artists themselves. "POP/STARS" and "GODS" featured game characters rather than the artists, while the music video for "Ready For Love," a collaboration between BLACKPINK and "PUBG: Battlegrounds," used 3D avatars of the members.

The performance video released alongside "Made My Night" is unusual as well. It borrows the visual layout of a game screen and presents the members as if they were playable characters. Such a highly conceptual presentation is less common in a standard album promotional cycle, and the game partnership gave the group room to explore it.

The mainstream-oriented approach has also produced strong early results. "Made My Night" drew 1,038,613 streams on Spotify on its first day. It then entered the Daily Top Songs chart in five countries and regions, including South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, as of Sept. 11. The music video also ranked high on YouTube's Trending Music charts in 19 countries and regions, including No. 7 in the U.K., No. 8 in Denmark and No. 9 in Canada.