May 18, 2023
Anyone within the hip-hop scene knows the name, DJ Khalil. He gained popularity for both his music-producing and DJing skills. The other day, Sonical.ly had a chance to sit down and talk with DJ Khal
Read more
May 7, 2023
Copyright infringement cases are very much on the rise in the music industry. Recently, Ed Sheeran was on the receiving end of one. Fortunately for him and the music industry as a whole, he won. Who
Read more.png)
April 28, 2023
Artificial Intelligence (aka AI) is not a new thing. It has been used for various purposes like social media algorithms and Siri on your phone. However, for the first time, AI is being used in
Read more.png)
April 28, 2023
From Kidz Bop idol to R&B and pop singer, Kiana Ledé has fully planted herself within the music industry. The release of her latest single “Jealous” featuring Ella Mai adds to her growing achievements
Read more.png)
April 23, 2023
In the past few years, the K-pop culture has experienced a number of suicides, which has devastated the Korean entertainment industry. Sulli from f(x), Jonghyun from SHINee, Goo Hara from KARA, and
Read more.png)
April 20, 2023
Since SZA has released her latest album ‘SOS’, it has made a lot of buzz in the music industry. The album has received positive reviews for its combination of R&B, pop, and hip-hop and featured.....
Read more
April 20, 2023
With K-pop bands like BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and SEVENTEEN, Korean music has been on the rise over the past ten years. But Korea’s music culture doesn’t stop there....
Read more
April 8, 2023
In October 2019, member of the K-pop group Monsta X, WONHO, faced allegations of drug usage, resulting in his departure from the group. Fans were disheartened by the news of him leaving and wondered..
Read more
April 1, 2023
Songwriters, composers, and publishers have long been underpaid when it comes to the live concert industry. However, a successful court case may be the first step to changing that.....
Read more
March 28, 2023
Society has always placed a high value on music. As technology starts to become more part of our lives, social media and music platforms have become more and more prominent in the music business....
Read more
March 28, 2023
The Latin GRAMMY Awards are changing it up this year for songwriters! On March 21, 2023, The Latin Recording Academy released a press release announcing various additions and changes to the awards...
Read more
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.
