Virtual Bands Shattering the Boundaries of K-Pop

A new wave of change is sweeping through South Korea’s K-Pop industry. Bands composed of virtual avatars and fictional groups from movies are dominating real-world music charts, thereby expanding the definition of K-Pop. PLAVE, a fully virtual boy band created by VLAST Entertainment, reached a historic milestone on April 13 through South Korea’s official music chart, the Circle Chart. PLAVE became the first virtual Korean artist to exceed one million album sales, a significant achievement in South Korea’s music industry that ranks it alongside Blackpink’s Jisoo, NewJeans, and BTS. PLAVE’s third mini-album, “Caligo Pt. 1” (released in February), drove this success. The members of PLAVE are Yejun (Leader), Bamby, Noah, Eunho, and Hamin, and they are musicians with prior K-Pop and R&B experience who operate behind the avatars. They do not merely sing and dance; instead, they compose and produce songs, design choreography, and play musical instruments. This level of creative involvement is typically seen only in top artists such as BTS and Stray Kids. Lee Sun-gu, CEO of VLAST, explained, “Each member was recruited through referrals after being recognized for their musical talent.” Attempts to virtualize K-Pop have persisted for nearly 30 years, but successful cases like PLAVE are rare. Inspired by South Korea’s webtoon culture, PLAVE’s avatars, rendered as highly detailed 2D characters, exert real artistic influence while keeping their real identities hidden, similar to the British virtual band Gorillaz. Meanwhile, the Sony Pictures Animation film “KPop Demon Hunters,” released on Netflix in June, also demonstrated the real-world impact of virtual K-Pop groups. Despite being modeled after existing groups such as Blackpink, Itzy, and Twice, the film’s three-member girl group Huntr/x and boy band Saja Boys developed their own strong musical influence. The film’s soundtrack debuted at number one on the 2025 Billboard 200, becoming the first soundtrack to enter the top tier of the chart that year. This album, which includes a re-recorded version of “Takedown” by Twice’s Jisoo, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung, also received five nominations at the 68th Grammy Awards. Huntr/x has now become the third-most-streamed K-Pop group in the world (with BTS in first place and Stray Kids in second), and following the film’s massive success, related merchandise is expected to be the most popular category during the 2025 holiday season. Fan goods such as collaboration shoes with Vans, CDs, and lightsticks are selling out rapidly. This phenomenon shows that K-Pop is not limited to real-life idol groups alone. Virtual avatars and fictional groups from movies are also influencing real music charts and receiving enthusiastic support from fans, further expanding the boundaries of K-Pop.