AI Idols Rapidly Rise as Mainstream Culture Forces Eternity, Hades, and PLAVE to Dominate Streaming Ecosystems

Virtual idols powered by AI technology are rapidly ascending to mainstream culture by leading interactive ecosystems built on streaming platforms. From achieving high YouTube view counts to entering music charts, holding large-scale concerts, and collaborating on merchandise, these virtual idols are expanding the boundaries of the traditional idol industry.

Pulse Nine’s virtual idol group Eternity has proven its global popularity by surpassing 35 million cumulative YouTube views. Last year, following the release of their full-length album *Hello World*, their official channel’s subscriber count exceeded 200,000. Additionally, the music videos for four tracks released sequentially—“Wear Sunglasses at Night,” “Hello World,” “Luv Or Dare,” and “Ice Cream Heaven”—all recorded over 1 million views each. Notably, member Hyejin used generative AI techniques combined with synesthesia to reinterpret K-pop’s visual elements into surreal art pieces, which were officially exhibited at a world art festival. This demonstrates that virtual entities have evolved beyond mere entertainment to become creators of aesthetic value.

The interactive ecosystem based on streaming platforms has given rise to a new idol creation model. The five-member group Hades, formed under the leadership of SOOP streamer Bong Joon, is a prime example. Every stage of the process, from auditions to debut, was streamed in real time, and the final members—Somjumok, Yeonchorok, Channa, Tteunggul, and Kima—were selected through viewer voting. Leader Somjumok stated, “The auditions were conceptually meant to create ‘our idol’ together with the viewers,” adding that “the support from fans was especially meaningful because we went through everything together.”

The results were outstanding. Their debut song “Megaphone Harmony,” released on December 26 of last year, entered Melon’s Top 100 and rose to first place on the Hot Chart within a single day. Merchandise tied to their debut generated sales of approximately 1.6 billion won, and their first solo concert on the 10th sold out a large-scale venue. Member Yeonchorok expressed her feelings by saying, “It still feels like a dream to be able to sing in front of so many people watching.” Initially planned to disband after the concert, Hades decided to extend their activities at fan requests and deepened their bond with supporters through a new song titled “Second Earth,” which conveys the message “Remember Me.”

Merchandise collaborations also underscore the growing influence of virtual idols. GS Retail’s convenience store chain GS25 launched products in collaboration with the virtual idol group PLAVE. The five types of “PLAVE Buns” released on the 15th became extremely popular, selling 550,000 units within just 10 days of release. Starting on the 28th, GS25 introduced three additional collaborative products: Gungogumachu, Kkokkon Gunokkumuchimt, and a photo ID set. Each product comes with a random sticker and a photo card. A PLAVE pop-up store is also operating at eight locations across the country, including the Gangnam Dongwon branch in Seoul, through the 31st, attracting heavy foot traffic.

Experts argue that this trend signifies the emergence of a new idol ecosystem based on streaming platforms and viewer participation models. This shift moves away from the traditional offline industry centered around large entertainment companies toward a model where digitally native fanbases directly participate in the creation and growth of idols. Park Jieun, CEO of Pulse Nine, said, “Reaching 35 million views is proof that our experimental musical efforts as AI artists have gained tremendous popularity among global K-pop fans.” She added, “By 2026, we will showcase Eternity’s unique artistic identity—one that goes beyond technical perfection to awaken human emotions—to the whole world.”