Everything Goes On
A collaboration between Porter Robinson and League of Legends.
"Everything Goes On" is a single by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson, created with the video game League of Legends and released on July 14, 2022. It marked Robinson’s first new music after his 2021 album Nurture. The track is connected to League of Legends’ Star Guardian 2022 event, which pays homage to the magical girl anime genre, and its lyrics take inspiration from the anime Madoka Magica.
Robinson’s wife Rika (then his girlfriend) introduced him to League of Legends during the COVID-19 pandemic. After watching the Arcane animated series from League of Legends developer Riot Games, he wanted to contribute to one of their projects. He approached Riot about writing a song; they suggested he work on the Star Guardian 2022 theme, which would come with an animation roughly two and a half minutes long.
While working on "Everything Goes On," Robinson rewrote the lyrics multiple times, a shift he linked to his increasing focus on lyrics in his songwriting process. He initially drew from a 2019 animated short by Riot, but eventually wrote about something more personal: a loved one "going through something really painful." Because of the song’s intimate nature, Robinson chose to use his natural voice rather than the heavy vocal processing found on tracks from Nurture. Alongside his usual electronic elements, the song incorporates indie rock and features Robinson playing guitar, which he called a "different workflow" for himself.
The official music video for "Everything Goes On" launched alongside the song to kick off the Star Guardian 2022 event. Robinson did not work on the animated video, which The Verge writer Andrew Webster noted sometimes created "an interesting contrast" with the song’s personal lyrics.
Billboard’s Kat Bein called the track a "heartfelt sing-along" that "captures all the beauty, power and sadness that comes with sacrificing your life as a teenage girl to protect the world; and it does it all without sacrificing any part of its Porter Robinson-ness." NME’s Ali Shutler described it as "a beautiful song that wrestles with melancholy, hope, love, desire and loss."
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Porter Robinson
- Released
- July 14, 2022
- Genre
- Pop
- indie rock
- indie electronic
- liquid drum and bass
- Length
- 3:22
- Label
- Riot Games
- Writer
- Brendon Williams
- Fredrik Johansson
- Hige Driver
- Porter Robinson
- Producer
- Porter Robinson, Brendon Williams
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Robinson's wife Rika (then his girlfriend) introduced him to League of Legends. When Riot Games released the animated series Arcane, Robinson realized he wanted to be involved in one of their projects. He approached Riot about contributing a song, and they proposed he work on the Star Guardian 2022 theme, to be accompanied by an animation of about two-and-a-half minutes in length.
Robinson frequently redid the lyrics to "Everything Goes On" while working on it, something he attributed to his growing focus on lyrics in the songwriting process. Initially drawing inspiration from an animated short released by Riot in 2019, he eventually shifted towards writing about something closer to his own experiences about a loved one "going through something really painful." Because of the personal nature of the lyrics, Robinson felt it was necessary to use his natural voice, as opposed to the heavy vocal processing featured on tracks from Nurture.
In addition to the electronic elements present in his previous work, "Everything Goes On" draws from elements of indie rock and was partially performed by Robinson on the guitar, which he described as a "different workflow" for himself.
Reader's Guide
"Everything Goes On" marks a notable shift in Porter Robinson's approach to songwriting and production. The song's personal lyrics, inspired by a loved one's painful experience, led Robinson to use his natural voice rather than the heavy vocal processing characteristic of his earlier work. Musically, the track incorporates indie rock elements alongside his electronic foundation, with Robinson performing on guitar—a "different workflow" for him. The song was released alongside an official music video to start off the Star Guardian 2022 event in League of Legends; Robinson did not work on the animated video, which created an "interesting contrast" at times due to the personal nature of the song and its lyrics. Critical reception described the song as a "heartfelt sing-along" that captures "all the beauty, power and sadness that comes with sacrificing your life as a teenage girl to protect the world" while retaining its "Porter Robinson-ness." Another review called it "a beautiful song that wrestles with melancholy, hope, love, desire and loss." The single represents Robinson's first release after Nurture and his first collaboration with Riot Games, expanding his audience into the gaming community.
Track listing
"Everything Goes On" – Digital single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everything Goes On | 3:22 |
| Total length | 3:22 | |
"Everything Goes On" – 7-inch single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everything Goes On | 3:22 |
| 2 | Everything Goes On (Star Guardian Version) | 2:30 |
| Total length | 5:52 | |
Track listing from the source article.
Elsewhere in League of Legends
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