Sophie Powers: K/DA’s Evelynn on ‘Firestarter’ EP, K-pop & Worlds

I watched a rumor tweet at 2 a.m. and felt Sophie’s moment hang in the air like the calm before a storm. One minute she was a fan who cosplayed Jinx; the next, she was the new voice people argued over across forums. Her entrance into K/DA felt sudden, sharp — a neon dagger cutting through the noise.

At an Arcane Grammys afterparty, a handshake turned into a demo pile — how Sophie Powers landed Evelynn

I was on a video call with Sophie, and she told me the story with the kind of amused disbelief you only get when something improbable actually happens. She met Riot’s head of music at an Arcane event, mentioned her viral American Idol clip in Asia and a K-pop collab with ILLIT, and suddenly an offer was on the table.

She wrote songs Riot didn’t use, then auditioned for K/DA. Fifteen versions of each track later, she told me, she finally heard the word that mattered: “you’d fit K/DA.”

Who is the new voice of Evelynn?

Sophie Powers, a 22-year-old hyperpop singer-songwriter and director of her own visuals, is the newest vocalist behind Evelynn. You may recognize her from K-pop songwriting credits with IVE and NMIXX, a feature on ILLIT’s 2025 single “Jellyous,” and viral clips that attracted attention across Spotify, TikTok and YouTube.

A Polymarket post at dawn set off message boards — what the leaks meant for her and the rollout

I saw the leak she mentioned: a prediction market post naming a different star and sending forums into a tizzy. Sophie admitted she panicked — she pictured folks saying they’d been “cooked” by that rumor — but once the songs hit, the reception shifted fast.

“I’m superstitious,” she told me. “I don’t believe anything is happening until I’ve signed the contract.” That wariness paid off; when “Firestarter” debuted, it shot to No. 1 on Spotify US and global charts and pushed K/DA back into mainstream conversation.

What is “Firestarter” and why did it chart?

“Firestarter” is the lead single from a four-track K/DA EP that leans upbeat and pop-forward. It hit streaming playlists, benefitted from Riot Games’ promotional muscle, and tapped both gaming and K-pop audiences — a fast path to streaming velocity on Spotify and viral traction on TikTok.

A nail appointment and a petty rehearsal — the small rituals Sophie used to become Evelynn

She told me, laughing, that she’d get long nails for tracking and spend an hour being rude to a man to slip into the character’s mood. The mechanics were oddly practical: physical details first, then the voice followed.

Sophie directs her visuals, writes her songs and treats performance as a holistic piece of work — she wanted Evelynn to feel like her version, not a copy of Madison Beer or Kim Petras’ takes. “I wanted to create new shoes,” she said. “I don’t want to fill anyone’s shoes.”

Will K/DA perform at Worlds 2026?

Yes. K/DA will perform at the League of Legends Worlds Grand Finals in Brooklyn next month, joining the event’s live-streamed spectacle. If you’re tracking logistics: secondary-market tickets for big esports finals can run about $200 (€186), so expect demand and resale activity.

Sophie was careful with spoilers. She stressed that the TikTok choreography she posted isn’t the live show choreography — the stage set-up, camera angles and a bigger show experience change how a number translates live. She also confirmed she won’t be performing “Watch Me” at Worlds, even though she’s on that track in the EP.

A tweet, a DJ set outside a venue, and a Stray Kids opener — the K-pop bridges that shaped her career

You’ll hear the name Blackpink in her origin story, then a steady gravity toward Stray Kids and i-dle. Real-world moments — a concert, a DJ set outside a Toronto venue, a social clip — compounded into industry doors opening in Korea and with Riot.

Sophie spent two years writing and attending song camps in Korea, and her K-pop credits led to more features. She framed herself as a consumer-turned-writer: the fandom came first, the songwriting followed.

A comment thread that turned to applause — how Sophie handled fandom heat and praise

The first wave of backlash hit fast; gamers and K-pop fans are vocal, and she admits she let the hate get to her at first. Then she shifted her focus to the messages of support and saw the balance change.

“Love truly does always win,” she said, a line that reads a little like a mantra but rings honest when she explains how she stopped letting the trolls set her mood. The fandom reaction now skews positive, though nostalgia for past Evelynn portrayals explains much of the early resistance.

A studio line, a lyric that made her grin — why Sophie loves the EP’s smaller moments

She singled out the opening verse of “Watch Me” — “The Louvre gonna hang it” — as a lyric that put her straight into Evelynn mode. Those small bars give her room to be theatrical and mischievous on record.

Beyond K/DA, Sophie’s wishlist includes collaborators from Horse Girl to Yves and Stray Kids. She’s already got credits with IVE and NMIXX, and teases more features on her upcoming EP.

The community chat, midnight edits, and the small rituals that made this version different — a closing thought

I’ve covered pop crossovers before; this feels smaller and sharper at once. Sophie has crafted a version of Evelynn that’s part K-pop fandom, part hyperpop DIY, part Riot Games spectacle.

She told me she wants to be a shoulder for listeners, a visual artist who invites you to overexpress yourself if you want. That promise turns a character song into a personal handshake with fans.

The interview has been edited for brevity and accuracy.

Riot Games brought K/DA back with Soyeon and Miyeon of i-dle, Mimi Webb, and Sophie — a mix of veteran K-pop names and newer Western artists. The result is a chart-topping EP, a Worlds stage moment, and a debate about what these character-led pop projects mean for both gaming and mainstream music.

The fandom now feels like a pressure cooker: abundant energy, precise expectations, and a few scorched pans. So tell me — whose version of Evelynn will you defend when the lights go up in Brooklyn?