PLAVE is one of K-pop‘s first virtual groups — that’s right, K-pop’s gone virtual! The boy band consists of 5 members and have already released several singles and EPs since their debut in 2023.
Keep reading to learn more about PLAVE.
Who Are PLAVE?
“PLAVE” is a combination of the words “Play” and “Rêve” (which means “dream” in French). The group was created by VLAST and made their official debut on March 12, 2023, with the release of their first single album Asterum. They have since gone on to release their first EP Asterum: The Shape of Things to Come and dropped their second EP Asterum: 134-1 in February 2024.
The virtual band consists of 5 members named Yejun (leader, vocalist, producer), Noah (vocalist, producer), Bamby (vocalist, dancer, choreographer), Eunho (rapper, vocalist, producer) and Hamin (rapper, dancer, choreographer). The group works heavily in the production process of their music, as well as their choreography.
“Throughout the production process, we put in a lot of effort to highlight each member’s individual characteristics,” Bamby said during an interview with Vanity Teen. “As we were working on the song (“Wait For You”), we felt that it had the potential to receive a lot of love from the audience. During dance rehearsals, we became confident that we could deliver a great performance on stage. ”
The group nominated for Rookie of the Year along many other artists for the Melon Music Awards in 2023, making them the first virtual group to do so.
“Since our debut stage, we feel like dreaming every day and we want to treasure each moment,” Hanim told the outlet. “The love that our fans showed us made every moment unforgettable. It’s hard to choose just one, but the most impressive experience is our Music Core stage, where the fantastic stage setup combined with PLAVE’s music created a unique scene that only PLAVE could deliver to the audience.”
Is PLAVE AI?
PLAVE is not AI-generated, like so many other new K-pop groups, there are actual people behind the virtual avatars. The band utilizes motion capture technology in order to track the movements and expressions of each member.
PLAVE’s design was created by artist NAKDI. Each real-life member possesses a virtual avatar who performs using technology — not AI — and the members’ vocals, expressions and body movements are captured and relayed in real-time.
The five have acted in their music videos as well as executed live performances in music shows such as MBC’s Show! MusicCore and MBC Radio’s IDOL RADIO.
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