Sophie Powers is stepping into a distinctive virtual pop world. As the new singing voice of Evelynn, she joins K/DA on FIRESTARTER, the group’s first new music in six years, bringing her approach to a character shaped by three previous performers. In an exclusive InMusic interview, Sophie opens up about taking on the role, her long-standing connection to K-pop and what comes next for her own music.
The opportunity had been developing for some time. Sophie tells InMusic that she had been able to send songs to the team and had participated in K/DA writing camps, but the project only became real for her in August, when she began recording. Having followed K/DA’s evolution, she knew that Evelynn had previously been voiced by Bea Miller, Kim Petras and Madison Beer, each bringing a different interpretation to the character. Rather than treating that history as a template she had to reproduce, the 22-year-old singer saw it as permission to find her own lane.
That freedom is central to her approach on FIRESTARTER. Evelynn is a shapeshifter, Sophie explains, which leaves room to experiment with vocal styles and push beyond the boundaries of her own released work. She describes listeners hearing a future version of Sophie Powers in the performance: ideas she had explored in demos, but had not yet brought to a track under her own name. The character’s confidence, charisma and unapologetic self-expression also connect with Sophie’s own instincts, especially in fashion.
She is equally clear about the legacy she is joining. Powers credits Miller, Petras and Beer as essential to the character’s identity, and says their different portrayals gave her room to create her own interpretation. The new K/DA lineup also brings together distinct musical backgrounds: MIYEON and SOYEON return as Ahri and Akali, while Mimi Webb joins as Kai’Sa. For Sophie, the group’s strength comes from allowing those differences to coexist rather than forcing every voice into the same sound.
Her connection to the project also reflects years of work in K-pop. A fan of the genre since late 2016, Sophie Powers began writing music in its style around 2022 and has attended songwriting camps in South Korea. Her credits include work with IVE, NMIXX and ILLIT, including a contribution to the “jellyous” remix. Joining K/DA marks a different milestone: she is no longer contributing solely behind the scenes, but stepping forward as a performer alongside artists she has long admired.
That creative curiosity extends well beyond music. Sophie Powers designs and styles her own looks, has collaborated with Harajuku streetwear brands ACDC RAG and Gloomy Bear, and sees fashion, animation, film and music as connected forms of art. The character’s visual confidence felt naturally aligned with the self-expression she has been developing in her own work.
Away from K/DA, Sophie is preparing the next chapter of her solo career. Following this year’s singles “Klepto” and “MIA,” she will release “Dirty White Tee” on November 20. The track will serve as the first single from her upcoming EP, Silver Streak, which she tells InMusic is scheduled for early 2027.
Keep scrolling to read the full exclusive interview, where Sophie discusses Evelynn, K-pop songwriting, creative freedom and the plans she has in store for 2027.
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K/DA is returning with its first new music in six years, and “FIRESTARTER” introduces a new chapter for the group. When did you first learn about the opportunity, and what was your immediate reaction to being invited into such an established musical universe?
I actually first learned about the opportunity in, I want to say, August, and that was when it was solidified. It was always something where I could send them songs, and I had taken part in their writing camps, but it never became a realized thing until August. That’s when it felt real because that’s when I started recording. In terms of coming into such an established K/DA universe, the support has been overwhelming. I’m truly thankful to everyone in the community who has welcomed me with open arms.
K/DA has grown from a virtual group associated with League of Legends into a global pop phenomenon. What was your relationship with the project before joining, and how did that familiarity shape your approach to becoming part of its next chapter?
I think the fact that I was familiar with the group actually helped because I had watched it grow. I had seen what the three girls, Bea Miller, Kim Petras, and Madison Beer, had all done with one character. That actually made me more open-minded when it came to playing Evelynn. They all had their own direction and way of portraying her. I didn’t have to stick to a certain mold, and knowing that gave me a lot of creative freedom to make the choices I did for the next era of K/DA while still fitting what the group is known for.
You are now the singing voice of Evelynn, a character previously brought to life vocally by Madison Beer. What did you see as the defining qualities of Evelynn’s musical identity?
I think the fact that she’s quite literally a shapeshifter means that I can do whatever vocal styles I like. There’s so much more she has to showcase, honestly, and that’s what’s so cool about her character to me. There are no boundaries. The possibilities are kind of endless. I guess to summarize, the overall defining quality of Evelynn isn’t necessarily her musical qualities. It’s who she is as a person and how that seeps into her musical qualities. Her mannerisms, that badass energy, her charisma- all of those things influence her voice.
How did you approach making the role your own while respecting what came before?
I think making the role my own was easy because of what came before. All three of these talented artists who portrayed Evelynn before took the character in such different directions, and they were all very confident in the directions they took. So I really just had to believe in myself and be confident in the choices and decisions I was making. I think by doing that, I hopefully upheld their standards and the bar that they set.
Taking over a role previously associated with an artist like Madison Beer inevitably comes with expectations from longtime fans. How did you navigate the balance between honoring her contribution to Evelynn’s legacy and introducing a new vocal identity that reflects your own strengths?
I think that obviously Madison is such a big part of who Evelynn is, and Evelynn would not be Evelynn without Madison. But Evelynn also wouldn’t be Evelynn without Kim Petras or Bea Miller. I just want to highlight how amazing all three of those artists are. Taking into account all of their different characteristics, I was able to find a lane for myself and make decisions that they may or may not have chosen before. I think that’s what actually made me so excited to play the character. All these amazing artists had been her before, and stepping into those shoes was hard, but all I can do is my best, and I think I did.
Evelynn has a distinct personality within K/DA: confident, provocative, glamorous, and often unpredictable. Which aspects of her character resonated most strongly with you?
Hey, sometimes I can hold a grudge, but nobody’s perfect! I think Evelynn is also just so unapologetically herself when it comes to her fashion choices. The extremely long nails, the high-cut blazers, and these crazy, unique hairstyles. I often gravitate toward that myself because, for so long, I didn’t. It feels like I was let out of my shell. Evelynn, in a similar way, is just like, there is no shell. There’s nothing holding her back when it comes to what she’s going to wear or how she’s going to look. I feel the same way about my own self-expression and self-presentation when it comes to fashion and visuals.
Your music moves between vulnerability, aggression, humor, and an unapologetically maximalist pop sensibility. How much of Sophie Powers do you think listeners can hear in Evelynn on “FIRESTARTER”?
I think you can hear me do things that I actually haven’t done before on a track. I’ve done them on demos, but I haven’t done them on a released Sophie Powers song. So listeners can actually hear a future version of Sophie Powers, but nothing current. And I think that’s more interesting. I have Evelynn to thank for that, for pushing me outside of my shell and my boundaries as an artist.
MIYEON and SOYEON return to K/DA as Ahri and Akali, while Mimi Webb joins as Kai’Sa. What was it like working with artists from such different musical backgrounds?
I’m fortunate to have worked with so many different artists over the course of my career, all with different backgrounds. So it actually wasn’t that large of a change for me. I love collaboration.
With four artists bringing their own musical identities to K/DA, how did you find a shared identity without losing the qualities that make each of you distinctive?
I think that’s actually what makes K/DA so special. Everyone brings something completely different to the table, and instead of trying to make us all sound the same, those differences are celebrated. I think we all naturally found our place within the group while still bringing our own personalities and strengths to the music. That’s what makes it so exciting.
You have spoken about your longstanding love of K-pop and have contributed to the genre as both a songwriter and performer. What was it like working with MIYEON and SOYEON, particularly given their history with K/DA, and did the experience differ from your previous work in the K-pop world?
I mean, it was honestly such an honor. I’ve been a fan of K-pop for so long, and getting to be part of something alongside artists who helped establish K/DA is really surreal. I’ve worked in K-pop as a songwriter before, but this experience was different because I got to step into the world as a performer as well. It really felt like everything I’ve worked on throughout my career was coming together.
SOYEON is an exceptionally talented artist who has a unique ability to be deeply involved in songwriting, production, and shaping i-dle’s creative direction. What did you learn from seeing how she approaches these different aspects of her work?
Wow. I would say the most important thing I learned was fearlessness. You hear SOYEON in the track, and she’s just fearless. She really trusts her instincts and her gut. It’s not that she doesn’t listen to advice from producers or collaborators, but she trusts herself so much that it makes those collaborators more at ease. That was super inspirational to me, not only on the idle songs but also on the K/DA songs.
Your creativity extends beyond music into fashion design and styling. Fortiche has described this new K/DA era as more mature and fashion-forward. How involved were you in shaping Evelynn’s visual identity, and how much of your own style did you bring into her look?
I was not involved at all in shaping Evelynn’s digital identity, and that actually made it more exciting for me because normally I’m so hands-on in everything I do. But I just wholeheartedly trusted the Riot team, and they absolutely nailed it. I feel like I relate to Evelynn’s character as a whole, so her style automatically fit. When I saw the designs, it made me even more excited about portraying her.
K/DA allows you to express yourself through a character with her own identity, story, and visual style. As an artist who also works in fashion, what do you enjoy most about exploring your creativity through Evelynn?
I think it’s super interesting to blend fashion and music, but it’s even more interesting to blend animation, film, fashion, and music. I watch so much anime. I consume so many beautifully done cartoons, graphics, old movies, and even stop-motion animation. I’m just a big supporter of human-made art in general. I think fashion is a physical extension of human-made art, and music is a very physical but also spiritual extension of who we are. They’re all so intertwined for me, which sounds a little crazy to say out loud, but I think this experience connected the dots even more for me as an artist, especially considering I have synesthesia.
You’ve been a K-pop fan since late 2016 and began writing music in the style around 2022. How did your love of K-pop influence your development as a songwriter and artist?
I think my development as a songwriter and artist through K-pop has really been shaped by the fact that K-pop is so genreless. You truly can explore any genre you want, and it’s still accepted within the K-pop community.
The fact that the community and audience are so accepting is really all you can ask for as a songwriter. That has shaped me into taking risks and exploring genres that I otherwise wouldn’t. And then with my artistry, again, it’s about taking risks. It’s a tale as old as time: practice makes perfect. If I’m honing my craft, whether it’s for K-pop or myself, it’s going to improve my overall delivery, artistry, and performance. I’m very thankful to K-pop for that.
You’ve attended songwriting camps in South Korea and worked with artists such as IVE, NMIXX, and ILLIT before joining K/DA. How have these experiences shaped your relationship with the K-pop industry?
I think my level of respect for the people behind the scenes has increased so much. You think you know something, and then you learn more about it, and that’s when you realize you know nothing at all. I truly believe that with every industry, but K-pop is such a multifaceted, complex industry. I have so much respect for the artists, of course, being an artist myself, but also for those teams. Their hands are very full, and they carry a lot of weight and baggage that isn’t seen by the public. Recognizing their efforts and continuing to do so is something I really want to prioritize.
Your work in K-pop has grown from songwriting for artists like IVE and NMIX to collaborating with ILLIT on the “jellyous” remix and now joining K/DA. Is there one of these experiences that holds a particularly special place in your heart?
All of them hold a special place in my heart, and thankfully there’s room for more. I can’t wait to grow alongside all of these amazing collaborators and support them on their journeys continuously, even beyond our collaborations.
Looking ahead to your own path, what’s next for Sophie Powers? You’ve released two singles this year, “Klepto” and, more recently, “MIA.” Can fans expect more new music soon?
Yes! I’m actually releasing a single called “Dirty White Tee” on November 20th, and I’m releasing an EP in early 2027. The rollout starts with “Dirty White Tee.” That’s the first single, and I’m just really excited about the project. It’s called Silver Streak.
Is there anything you can tease about what you have planned?
Yes! I can say that I’m going to do a global tour. I can’t say where or when. And I can say that being called a manic pixie dream girl is not an insult.
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