"Why Would You Like Something That’s Not Human?"...Virtual Idol PLAVE, Targeting Adults 30–40, Exceeds 1 Million Album Sales

Virtual idol group PLAVE is rewriting history in the virtual idol industry by surpassing 1 million album sales just one week after its release. Their third mini-album, “Caligo Pt.1,” released from the 3rd to the 9th, sold a total of 1,038,308 copies, marking the first time a virtual idol album has reached over 1 million units sold in its first week. Notably, PLAVE’s fanbase differs from traditional idol fandoms in that it is primarily composed of adults aged 30–40. This generation, which has been part of South Korea’s idol industry since the first wave of idols, is now enthusiastic about these computer-generated virtual idols. Park Ji-woon (32), a woman, first encountered PLAVE through a YouTube video sent by a friend in August 2023. Though she had never liked idols before, she gradually became obsessed after encountering PLAVE members’ dance challenges and funny videos featured on YouTube’s algorithm, eventually joining their official fan cafe. Fans in their 30s and 40s unanimously expressed being captivated by PLAVE’s human-like charm. Shin Mo (35), a woman, became a PLAVE fan after suffering a “doktong accident” (a blend of traffic accident and otaku) last September. Initially surprised by the 2D characters, she said she was drawn to how the members handled technical glitches with humor. Fans in their 30s and 40s consider PLAVE’s communication skills their greatest strength. The group holds two live broadcasts per week via YouTube for two hours each to interact with fans, and since May last year, they have also run a weekly radio show called “PlayRadio” where they read messages from fans. The purchasing power of these fans is astonishing. Park Ji-woon bought 59 copies of this album alone, while Shin Mo purchased around 50 copies. With PLAVE’s albums currently priced at around 17,000 won each, these fans spent approximately 1 million won in just one week. Park Ji-woon said, “I’m happy simply because I can buy albums to help PLAVE members.” The reason adult fans are willing to spend money on PLAVE is not solely due to their excellent music. They all reported feeling healed by the group. Shin Mo had been taking antidepressants in the past, but her dosage gradually decreased after she became a PLAVE fan. She said, “PLAVE often tells fans ‘I love you’ and ‘I like you’ during live broadcasts. It makes me feel good to know I am someone who deserves respect.” Fans also meet in person to communicate and share their joy. On the 10th, to celebrate member Noah’s birthday, the fanbase visited various “birthday cafes.” Park Ji-woon alone visited two such cafes in Busan on the 8th and four in Daegu on the 9th, showing the intense enthusiasm of the fans. She said, “We comfort each other by saying, ‘We have PLAVE, and PLAVE has Pli’ (the fanbase name),’ and we also relieve stress by sharing personal stories.” PLAVE’s success extends beyond album sales. All five tracks included in the album ranked from 1st to 5th on music charts, and the total cumulative streams for all released songs reached 1 billion, earning them a spot in Melon’s “Billions Club.” Just two years after their debut album sold 27,000 copies initially in 2022, they have achieved over 1 million sales, proving that virtual idols are no longer just novelty acts but artists recognized for their musical value.