Best & New Virtual K-Pop Idols & Groups

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Best & New Virtual K-Pop Idols & Groups

As a seasoned gamer and K-pop enthusiast who has witnessed the evolution of digital entertainment over the past decade, I must admit that the rise of virtual K-pop idols like PLAVE, FE:VERSE, MAVE, and ETERN!TY (IITERNITI) is nothing short of astonishing. I remember back in 2011 when I first heard about Hatsune Miku, a Japanese virtual pop star, and thought it was just a novelty act. But here we are, with virtual K-pop groups dominating the charts and breaking records, leaving some traditional K-pop acts trailing behind.

In recent times, digital or virtual K-pop stars have garnered a considerable amount of fame. It seems like every year, fans witness the debut of fresh digital K-pop artists in the music scene. Remarkably, some of these virtual K-pop groups have achieved significant sales figures, demonstrating the widespread fascination with this specific branch of K-pop.

In the realm of digital K-pop bands, PLAVE broke fresh ground by selling more than 570,000 copies of their 2024 comeback album in just one week after its release. The extraordinary appeal of Vlast also prompted them to organize several fan concerts in April.

In this piece, we delve into the realm of digital K-pop sensations and uncover some distinctive traits that set apart the leading figures in this popular music genre.

Plave

In 2023, Vlast’s Plave, a five-member virtual music group consisting of Yejun, Noah, Hamin, Eunho, and Bamby, made their debut. Their first K-pop single album, titled “Asterum,” sold an impressive 190,685 copies in the week following its release.

Ever since Plave made their entrance into the music scene, their popularity and sales have been steadily climbing due to an overwhelming response from fans with each subsequent release. On August 24, 2023, they unveiled their first EP, Asterum: The Shape of Things to Come, which astonishingly sold more than 306,098 copies.

The recently released EP by Plave, titled Asterum: 134-1, experienced a significant increase in sales, totaling approximately 737,474 units. This release also topped South Korea’s Circle Album Chart, an accomplishment that few established K-pop artists can achieve within their first year of debut.

Regarding the hurdles encountered by Plave, Lee Sung-gu, Vlast’s CEO, disclosed: “As Plave, our virtual idol group, searched for suitable songs, our team members expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the composers were not offering top-tier quality tunes. Consequently, we decided to compose our own music.”

Despite Plave’s rocky start, they have secured a prominent place among the renowned fifth-generation idol groups. To commemorate their continued triumph, the Idols will unveil their latest single, “Pump Up The Volume!”, on August 20 at 6 p.m. KST and 5 a.m. ET.

FE:VERSE

Kakao Entertainment’s FE:VERSE stands out among virtual K-pop idols as the members’ true identities are known to fans. This all-female group consists of five individuals: Muneo, Seoritae, Keuang, Rien, and Serena.

In FE: VERSE, all the K-pop characters are portrayed by well-known real-life idols. Discover which celebrities play these roles in the list provided.

  • Rien: Loona’s Heejin
  • Seoritae: Apink’s Hayoung
  • Serena: WJSN’s Soobin
  • Keuang: WJSN Luda
  • Muneo: Former IZ*ONE’s Kwon Eunbi

On May 9, 2023, FE:VERSE officially launched, captivating audiences with CHO. Despite this initial success, Kakao Entertainment revealed that no further activities were planned for the digital sensation within a year of its debut. Fervent fans remain optimistic, as the global interest in AI and virtual models continues to grow, potentially paving the way for FE:VERSE’s return.

MAVE

Metaverse Entertainment’s MAVE is a digital girl group that was crafted using exceptionally lifelike 3D computer-generated imagery. This innovative group made their debut in January 2023 with the release of their album, Pandora’s Box. This album included two songs: “Pandora” and “Wonderland (Idypia)”.

Following the debut of one album and an EP, MAVE was recognized with a nomination for the Special Award – Virtual Artist category at the 2023 Hanteo Music Awards. After a promising start in 2023, they hinted at upcoming content in August 2024 through the RE:MAVE teaser.

ETERN!TY (IITERNITI)

The digital band ITERNITI consists of more than a dozen members, including Seoa, Sujin, Minji, Zae-in, Hyejin, Dain, Chorong, Jiwoo, Yeoreum, Sarang, and Yejin. They made their debut on March 22, 2021.

To date, the collective known as Plave has put out six tracks, among them are “I’m Real,” “No Filter,” “Paradise,” “DTDTGMGN,” “Snow Holiday 3:50pm,” and “When Moon.” Much like Plave, ITERNITI faced early challenges in securing beats from producers.

Initially, it was challenging to secure any songs for the virtual K-pop group Iiterniti. However, they’ve been gaining recognition, and now we’re receiving submissions from composers eager to contribute their work. This is what Heo In-kyung, the Marketing Director at Pulse9, shared with Korean media.

Numerous experts believe that virtual K-pop idols could have a lasting future and aren’t merely a trendy enhancement of the AI era. Since the real personas behind these AI K-pop idols are hidden, there’s less chance of causing a scandal. As acts like Plave gain popularity, fans speculate that more record labels will embrace AI K-pop idols in the music scene.

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2024-08-12 21:12