February 23, 2023
Who is the greatest rapper of all time? Is it even possible to crown just one person? Well, Billboard and Vibe did exactly that. And, according to them, that person is Jay-Z. In honor of Hip-Hop’s
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February 18, 2023
Kaytranada (Louis Celestin) is a Haitian-Canadian record producer and DJ. He is a highly acclaimed electronic artist, having earned two Grammys and countless other awards for his work. Kaytranada has
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February 17, 2023
What happens when a famous music producer takes an interest in self-help books? The Creative Act is your answer. But who is Rick Rubin? Without a doubt, Rubin has an impressive track record in the
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February 14, 2023
The music industry is a place full of musicians, producers, and creators who have the magical ability to make those perfect sounds we hear everyday through our digital devices. We want to listen close
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February 14, 2023
What do popular video games franchises Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox all have in common? They were all produced and published by Nintendo, and the iconic music themes that you hear in...
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February 8, 2023
Being a successful woman in the music industry is no easy feat. Not only do they deal with the typical trials and tribulations of being a musician, but there are also gender-specific challenges.
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February 8, 2023
“Is it just me, or are songs getting shorter these days?” This is a question I have often pondered, especially in the last few years. It appears that in the era of social media, attention spans are
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February 6, 2023
SG Lewis (Samuel George Lewis) is a rising star in the dance/electronic music realm. He is a DJ/producer turned singer-songwriter, and is known for his disco-inspired, transcendent sound. He routinely
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February 4, 2023
Sam Smith just released their new album “Gloria” on the 27th of January. As described by Pitchfork, “Gloria flips between hyperpop, country, dancehall, disco, 2-step, and intimate, Kehlani-esque R&B”.
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February 5, 2023
Virtual reality and the metaverse have become popular topics in the music industry where more and more technology and music have been combined, creating something that could revolutionize the entire
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February 5, 2023
The 65th annual GRAMMY Awards are here, and there's a long-awaited addition to the awards. This year marks the introduction of a new category: the Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical Award. For all
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January 31, 2023
Zach Bryan released his first album in 2019, and in the short time since he has become one of the biggest names in country. His biggest album, “American Heartbreak”, broke single-day album streaming
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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.
