K-Pop & Performances in the Metaverse Era
SeoI Hwang, Research Professor
Humanities Research Institute, Chung-Ang University
As contactless meetings became common during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Metaverse, a network of 3D virtual worlds and interactions, emerged as an area of extensive discussion and affected the multiple ways in which “K-content” garnered greater global attention. Especially as people’s lives begin the return to normalcy, efforts to vitalize new music and related media content have resulted in support for both online and offline performances. Additionally, new technologies such as virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), and the Metaverse, are used to fan interest in virtual reality K-pop artists or virtual idols.
In the early phase of the pandemic, K-pop idols would employ VR, XR, and AI technologies to perform through alternate characters or avatars on the Metaverse platform. Some had personal avatars created through VR and motion capture techniques, which were then broadcast in the virtual world as virtual YouTubers (VTubers), virtual streamers, or virtual broadcasting jockeys (BJs). Gradually, the Korean virtual market began to grow in popularity among existing fans that loved animated characters. This led to the emergence of virtual idols performing on online platforms, and eventually evolved into a convergence of K-pop and the Metaverse.
In the beginning stages, popular virtual idols were K/DA, game characters from League of Legends (LoL); æ-æspa, avatars belonging to the girl group æspa, living on the fictional planet Kwangya; and ISEGYE IDOL or ISEDOL. K/DA and æ-æspa left something to be desired as their popularity was not earned through their own achievements but rather carried over from LoL and æspa’s already existing fandoms. However, ISEDOL topped music charts the moment they debuted and succeeded in drawing popular support by displaying their own potential and charm as virtual idols.
As it became clear that there was potential power and possibility for expansion, virtual K-pop artists began to appear in great numbers. Notable mentions include the virtual idol group MAVE: which is co-produced by Metaverse Entertainment, a subsidiary of the famous game company Netmarble F&C, and kakao ENTERTAINMENT; nævis, of SM Entertainment; Eternity, developed by AI company Pulse9; and virtual boy groups REVOLUTION HEART and PLAVE. There also are SUPERKIND, a girl group consisting of both actual and virtual humans, as well as the five-member virtual girl group Feverse that debuted through the kakao ENTERTAINMENT’s virtual competition reality program, Girl’s RE:VERSE. MAVE: and PLAVE have even taken to television to perform on music programs where they received positive responses from viewers.
Virtual idols have not only established alternative ways to enjoy K-pop, but also suggest new possibilities in the expansion of K-pop’s influence. Based on intellectual property (IP), fresh VR content created by idols can be expanded into multiple genres such as webtoons, web novels, videos, and games. Furthermore, virtual spaces such as the Metaverse naturally expand the range of idols’ activities, which in turn creates added value. MAVE: has been adapted into the Kakao Webtoon “MAVE: Another World” based on the group’s unique outlook. This is also shared through a variety of Netmarble’s games and related content. By expanding its IP and focusing on putting out a diverse range of K-pop-related entertainment, MAVE: hopes to secure more global fans.
Despite all these attempts, some people still respond negatively to virtual idols. Such people have yet to overcome the sense of surprise or even shock experienced when watching them and state a lack of reality or the uncanny valley phenomenon [the unsettling feeling some experience when encountering human-like, yet not quite realistic AI humanoids or robots] as their main complaints. Producers say that such “symptoms” are simply the by-products of integrating VR technologies into the broadcasting industry. The producers of MAVE: and nævis are exerting all-out efforts to bring their products into mainstream culture by further polishing their visuals, movements, and abilities. This is achieved by adopting upgraded VR, XR, and AI technologies, all while strengthening the idols’ storytelling and embodiment of their world views in the hopes of forming a global fandom. It is hoped that such efforts will contribute to solidifying the overall competitiveness of K-pop in the future and that virtual idols will eventually be welcome on the scenes of K-pop performances in the “Metaverse era.”
This article has been written by a specialist outside the Korea Foundation. The views expressed here may not reflect the KF’s official position.
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