One of has won legions of fans and had sell-out success — and it's entirely virtual.
PLAVE is a five-member group and the brainchild of VLAST, the self-described "pioneering virtual entertainment company" that uses real-time graphics and game engines to create incredibly high-definition digital renderings.
The group has experienced skyrocketing success since their debut in March 2023, with their initial two-song album Asterum selling more than 138,000 copies worldwide.
An EP in February titled Asterum: 134-1 sold more than 530,000 copies worldwide and secured the group a top 10 spot on the South Korean charts.
A music video for their single Way 4 Luv has more than 8.8 million views on YouTube despite only being released a month ago.
And recently, PLAVE held its first two "in-person" concerts at Olympic Hall in Seoul. Both sold out during pre-sale.
Social media was flooded with fans uploading snippets from the concert and live streams, which allowed international fans to interact with the group in real time.
How does PLAVE work?
There are real performers behind the digital avatars of PLAVE, who have their dancing, singing, and even facial expressions captured and displayed by using motion capture suits. However, the performers' true identities are a mystery.
This is a marked departure from the norm in K-pop, where physical attributes and adherence to so-called "beauty standards" can be a benchmark of a group's popularity.
Every member of PLAVE is represented in a highly stylised art style that mimics Korean webtoons called 'Manhwa'.
Yejun is the group's leader, Noah is a vocalist, and Bamby acts as a dancer and choreographer. Eunho is a rapper, as is Hamin.
The members are also credited as producers and vocalists in varying capacities on their album, as well as instrumentalists.
Their fan group or fandom name is PLLI.
While PLAVE is not the first virtual K-pop idol group, their success and advanced technological production have put them at the forefront of a movement in the industry.
