[Features reporter] Rise of virtual idols broadens K-pop spectrum

Kun-woo, I heard you had the chance to dive deeper into the K-pop scene.

What do you have for us this week?

That's right.

I had the amazing opportunity to speak with the members of a virtual idol group and also see how fans are following these virtual artists.

But before I tell you more, follow me into the "virtual world."

Five K-pop band members who claim to come from outer space.

They make up PLAVE, the first virtual idol group to sell over a million albums.

As their fan base continues to expand, a special cafe has even been created, offering an exclusive space for fans to enjoy related content.

Fans from all over the world gather here daily, proving the popularity of these virtual idols.

"I think it was just really refreshing. I didn't really listen to K-pop that much before. I was also interested in the technology behind it."

Artists like PLAVE, who use motion capture technology from sensors attached to real artists behind the avatars, tend to be more popular than those created purely with advanced technology without an actual person.

As a result, more motion-captured idols are being created, and finding ways to reach a broader audience.

"Virtual idol groups aren’t just performing but they’re connecting with fans just like any real-life idols. Let me show you how they send their love."

Virtual idols also have advantages on the production side, especially as they save time and money.

"They don't need travel time or large entourages during tours and since they're not real people, the risk of mistakes is minimized. Investment costs are much lower compared to real artists, especially in areas like appearance management."

The virtual artist market is growing rapidly and one research firm predicts it will grow tenfold by 2028 compared to 2021.

"Virtual idols are based on animation and sub-culture, which makes it somewhat difficult to connect with the mainstream audience at first. But if they continue to share their "humanity" with their own stories included in their music-making efforts, they could gradually break through and more accepted."

He also said virtual idols with "humanity" traits are similar to real K-pop idols in terms of their appeal to the audience, meaning the K-pop scene would be able to continue expanding, breaking beyond reality.

Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.

These idol groups may be virtual, but their popularity is "real" for real.

And the numbers show that too I remember PLAVE recently entered the Billboard Global 200 chart, as the first virtual artists to do so.

Your coverage is making me want to fanboy over some of them!

So, can you tell us more about these virtual idol groups?

Yes, so if you're interested in following some virtual idols, PLAVE is definitely one of the good choices.

The fan culture I witnessed at the "PLAVE cafe," looked so much fun with fans sharing merchandise and information.

And as you might expect, their concerts are incredibly popular as the tickets were sold out in just 10 minutes.

But as I'm sure you're all familiar with PLAVE now, I'd like to introduce some other groups.

The first one is Priz-V whom I had the chance to speak with.

And I brought a special message for our viewers from them.

First, take a listen.

"Hello Arirang TV viewers! This is Priz-V! We've got a lot of exciting things coming up, so stay tuned and please show us your love and support. I truly appreciate it. Thank you! ! "

So that was a lovely message from Priz-V who are preparing for their new release this April.

Also, there's a boy band called AEONIT that will be releasing a new digital single next week.

And I'm now wondering won't the rise of virtual idols be a threat to human K-pop trainees?

As it's known that there are over a million K-pop trainees these days, it's quite interesting to think about that.

I've been talking about it with my trainee friends as well.

One expert I spoke to said this can actually be a new opportunity for the trainees.

"The K-pop idol market is dominated by appearance and the endless pursuit of youth, constantly seeking replacements. So, if the idol trainees are tired of the system or can't express their strong musical philosophy due to various practical constraints, becoming a virtual artist can certainly be an opportunity."

He also said that the fusion of technology and humans will continue in the future, and he hopes that whether as a virtual artist or a human artist, it's crucial to establish one's own music philosophy and style to succeed in the industry.

Let's hope for a healthy coexistence of virtual and human K-pop artists.

Alright Kun-woo, thanks for all of that.

We'll see you next time.

Thank you Kun-woo.