JackeyLove, a former League of Legends world champion and current ADC superstar for LPL team Top Esports, has released a song in conjunction with the LPL Cares initiative and the One Foundation charity that will help raise awareness and monetary support for disadvantaged youth in China.
The song is titled “Pray” (depending on the translation, the song could also be read as “Wish”) and features JackeyLove’s vocals layered over a low-key but emotional pop instrumental. The lyrics of the song are meant to be inspirational and read as JackeyLove “praying” for these young kids’ brighter futures.
The song was released on Chinese music streaming platform y.qq. To access this site and JackeyLove’s version of “Pray,” a y.qq membership is required, but this is only achievable for Chinese residents. The song has been re-uploaded to SoundCloud, however, and can be found in InvenGlobal’s article about the song.
Alongside the release of this song, a behind-the-scenes style video was produced showcasing how it was created.
TES have been a busy team over the past split. In addition to putting out this banger for charity, they’ve released a shampoo commercial for L’Oréal and have been featured models in fashion magazine Esquire Fine. JackeyLove has been on fire for the past couple of years ever since his time on Invictus Gaming.
JackeyLove and Invictus Gaming kick-started their 2018 season with a 3rd place finish in the Demacia Championship, losing 2-1 to Snake Esports in the loser’s semifinal. Just two weeks later saw the start of the LPL Spring Season. Despite a regular season series record of 18-1, with their only loss being against Royal Never Give Up, this did not translate into success in the Spring Playoffs. Invictus Gaming were defeated 3-2 by RNG in the semifinals, this being followed by a 3-1 loss at the hands of Rogue Warriors in the third-place match. Although their performance could be considered a disappointment, their placement secured them a spot at Rift Rivals 2018.
A 3rd place finish in the Demacia Cup, this time losing to Bilibili Gaming in the loser’s semifinal, was followed by a successful showing at Rift Rivals. JackeyLove and the team won both of their group stage games, helping the LPL to an eventual triumph over the LCK in the final. Invictus Gaming once again achieved an 18-1 regular season record in the LPL Summer Season, their sole loss again to RNG. Despite the similarity of the year’s regular season performances, a successful showing in the Summer Playoffs, finishing runner-up to Royal Never Give Up after a tight 3-2 series, resulted in the team’s qualification to the 2018 Season World Championship on points.
Invictus Gaming was placed in Group D for Worlds 2018, alongside Fnatic, 100 Thieves, and G-Rex. The group stage round robin concluded with iG and Fnatic tied for 1st place at 5-1. The tiebreaker went in the favor of Fnatic, resulting in JackeyLove and the team being drawn against KT Rolster in the quarterfinals. A tense affair saw iG emerge victorious 3-2 and progress to the semifinals where they met G2 Esports. A more straightforward 3-0 series secured them a place in the finals. Awaiting their challenge were Group D counterparts, Fnatic. Invictus Gaming’s convincing performance in the finals resulted in a 3-0 victory, and made them the first Chinese team to win a World Championship.