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Kid Laroi's Collaboration with BTS’ Jungkook and Central Cee - "Too Much"

October 20, 2023

Recently announcing a collaboration titled “Too Much” to be released with BTS’ Jungkook, as well as Central Cee, it is scheduled to be released on October 20, 2023.‍

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NewJeans Makes K-pop History with 10 Weeks of Billboard Success

October 16, 2023

Just two months ago, NewJeans etched their names in the annals of music history by accomplishing a feat that set the industry abuzz. Their second mini album, “Get Up,” soared to the top of the...

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Peach Pit’s “From 2 to 3” is an Indie Production Masterpiece

October 16, 2023

The album was heavily influenced by 1970s rock and folk music, as frontman Neil Smith tells Monday Magazine: “We just decided we wanted to have a very natural-sounding album...

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IVE - Gearing up for “SHOW WHAT I HAVE” World Tour

October 12, 2023

Approaching their two-year debut anniversary, they're kicking off their first world tour, titled “SHOW WHAT I HAVE”. It’s been mentioned that IVE’s first concert is set to embrace the idea...

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BLACKPINK's Jennie's Return: You & Me

October 9, 2023

Recently, Blackpink's Jennie has made a triumphant return with her latest single, "You & Me," released on October 6, 2023, marking her first solo release since the global success of "Solo" in 2018...

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Tale of Us - The Techno Duo's Impression on EDM

October 9, 2023

Tale Of Us are an electronic music duo formed in 2008 consisting of Carmine Conte and Matteo Milleri. Soundscapes produced range from dance floor music to chill ambient soundscapes and abstract...

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(G)I-DLE Turns Up the 'Heat' With Latest EP

October 8, 2023

On October 6, (G)I-DLE dropped their latest EP, Heat. The mini-album, consisting of 5 tracks, was made through a collaboration between Cube Entertainment and 88Rising...

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NCT 127 Comes Back To 'Fact Check' Their Skills With New Album

October 8, 2023

NCTzens, the wait is finally over. On October 6, NCT 127 returned with their fifth album, Fact Check, accompanied by a futuristic music video for the album’s title track...

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Worlds 2023: NewJeans Drops Powerful Anthem

October 8, 2023

Riot Games has paired up with global K-pop sensation, NewJeans, a five-member group composed of Hanni, Danielle, Minji, Hyein, and Haerin. On October 4, 2023...

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Drake Releases New Album 'For All the Dogs'

October 6, 2023

The wait for the Toronto rapper’s long-awaited album is finally here. After a summer full of teasing, Drake’s fourth album in barely two years ”For All the Dogs” has arrived...

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Drake & Future’s timeless album: What a Time to be Alive

October 5, 2023

Few hip-hop projects have managed to retain their timeless quality to the same extent that Drake and Future's "What a Time to Be Alive" has. This 2015 album's release...

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Exploring Music: Why Tune into Sonder?

October 5, 2023

The Sonder group is a rare find in the world of modern R&B. Producer's Atu, Dpat, and lead vocalist Brent Faiyaz make up the band Sonder, which spins a captivating musical story...

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They're Not Real? The Rise in Virtual Kpop Groups

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Photo Source: News24

As virtual technology continues to evolve and we move towards the metaverse future, the K-pop industry has begun delving into all the possibilities. Virtual/ AI groups and performers are becoming increasingly popular and widespread in the K-pop industry. In this article, we’ll dive into a few virtual groups that have debuted in recent years.

AESPA

In November 2020, SM Entertainment debuted Aespa, the first K-pop group with their own AI avatars. The group debuted with the single “Black Mamba” and has released three albums since. Having popularized the metaverse concept in K-pop, the group consists of four members and their virtual counterparts (“aes”). These online avatars have been created from the data that the members have uploaded online, being the reflection of Aepsa.

ETERN!TY

Created by Pulse9’s technology, the group, consisting of 11 members, made their debut in March 2021 with their first single, “I’m Real.” The company started by generating female faces using Deep Real AI, based on the traits: cute, sexy, innocent, and intelligent. Based on fan votes, the winning characters were designed and have been projected onto the faces of actual girls. However, the voices of the members are the voices of the actual singers.

MAVE

MAVE is a four-member girl group, entirely composed of AI members, under Metaverse Entertainment. The group debuted with their single album, “Pandora’s Box” in January 2023. The group’s name means “make a new wave,” as it hopes to create a new wave of K-pop that includes virtual idols. The group is formed through a collaboration between Kakao, an internet company, and Netmarble, a mobile game company.

PLAVE

In March 2023, PLAVE made their debut under Kakao’s VLAST with the single album “Asterum.” Unlike other virtual artists, PLAVE uses computer graphics to create manhwa-style characters in place of the real bodies. Each track on their album was written and composed by the members themselves.

FE:VERSE

FE:VERSE is a virtual 5-member girl group formed by the winners of Kakao’s survival show, GIRL’S RE:VERSE. The group debuted with “CHO” in May 2023. Although the members are virtual, they are played by idols from other K-pop groups.