PLAVE K-Pop Boys Band: The Virtual Group, It's Members and Merch

Home > Blog > PLAVE K-Pop Boys Band: The Virtual Group, It’s Members and Merch

Recently, virtual content has been taking over everything we do, from the way we work to the way we relax, and it has even given birth to one of the biggest boy groups of the last year, PLAVE! Yes, you heard that right. One of the best charting and selling groups at the moment is the virtual group, PLAVE. But how does a group without “real” members function? How do they attract fans? And what about their music has made them stand out among groups that aren’t, well, VR? In this article, we’re going to explore PLAVE and whether they really are the “future of K-Pop.” So, if you’re ready, then let’s go!

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1.

What is PLAVE K-pop?

PLAVE is a virtual K-pop boy group that incorporates virtual characters that are rendered by real-life performers through motion-capture technology. Basically, beneath the animated character is a real artist who was recorded performing wearing motion-capture technology—the virtual character is then placed on top of the recording! PLAVE debuted in March of last year and has quickly climbed the charts, achieving huge success with their music releases and “live” performances. While the concept of virtual humans is not entirely new, PLAVE have managed to carefully bridge the gap between virtual and human idols by strategically infusing their virtual figures with a human quality through both the story that they are telling and the talented performers behind the characters. Together with their company, PLAVE’s aim is to establish themselves as pioneers in a new era of virtual entertainment and K-pop, and from what we’ve seen so far, they seem to be on the right track!

2.

Who are PLAVE members?

While fans do not know the real-life identities of the members, PLAVE has managed to draw a massive audience with their talent and charisma alone. The five members of PLAVE include the oldest member and ’01-liner’ Noah, and the group leader Yejun, who are talented vocalists and producers. Bamby, around whose face flowers appear when he closes or opens his eyes, shines as both a vocalist and a dancer/choreographer. Next, there is Eunho, who is a talented rapper, vocalist, and producer, and finally, PLAVE’s “Black Cat” Hamin completes the group as a rapper, dancer, and choreographer. In addition to being talented rappers, producers, vocalists, dancers, and choreographers, the PLAVE members are listed as the main composers for their lyrics and choruses. They also contribute to their music’s instrumentals, including synths, piano, and keyboards, giving their music, ironically, a very ‘human-like’ touch and making it easy for listeners to connect with their songs.

Forbes wrote about the group, ‘Beyond any sci-fi connotations or distractions that skeptics might conjure up when discussing PLAVE, a listen to the Asterum: 134-1 album shows true musical depth, made all the more impressive by PLAVE’s heavy involvement in the songwriting, production, and instrumentation for the tracks. (…) With hundreds of thousands not only in music sales, but also in their YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter followers, as well as earning artistic accomplishments and working with respected collaborators, industry heavyweights, it’s clear that people worldwide are connecting with a new world being built by PLAVE.’

As Forbes mentioned, although fans don’t know who the “real-life” members are, thanks to the members’ distinct personalities and unique talents, PLAVE have succeeded in blending virtual and real-life entertainment. Their success is evident in their record-breaking sales, chart-topping hits, and awards on Korean television music programs! For example, just recently, PLAVE’s highly anticipated first fan concert, ‘Hello, Asterum!’, saw all pre-sale tickets sold out in 10 minutes, with over 70,000 fans vying for seats during the opening of fan club pre-sale tickets!

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3.

PLAVE's Two Albums and Merch

As previously mentioned, PLAVE made their official debut on March 12th, 2023, with their first single album, “Asterum,” and debut single, “Wait for You.” Following this, they released “Asterum: The Shape of Things to Come” in August, which sold over 275,000 copies worldwide and achieved platinum certification in Korea. Next, their holiday hit, “Merry PLLIstmas,” was included in their second EP, “Asterum: 134-1,” which was released in February and featured five new songs, including the popular single “Way 4 Luv.” This led it to become one of the year’s top-selling records in Korea and rank in the Top 10 of South Korean charts, solidifying PLAVE’s success!

All three albums, including PLAVE’s first single album, “ASTERUM (POCA ALBUM VER.),” are now available for sale! The single album comes with a photostand package and sleeve, a QR card, two member photocards, two sets of stickers, an accordion postcard, and one digital content. Additionally, PLAVE’s first mini album, “ASTERUM: The Shape of Things to Come,” includes a full photobook, a CD of the album, a sticker pack, a photocard, an ID card, and a themed bookmark. Finally, PLAVE’s 2nd Mini Album “ASTERUM: 134-1” is offered in three different versions: the POCA ALBUM ver., Random ver., and Set ver. The album includes an album outbox, a mini CD, a lyrics book, a set of stickers, a polaroid, a fragrance tag, two mini postcards, one random member photocard, one random group photocard, one unit photocard, and one member starshard photocard—the POCA ALBUM ver. includes a photostand package with a sleeve, a QR card, two member photocards, stickers, an accordion postcard, digital contents, and a user guide, all in a stunning space universe theme.

Conclusion

The debut of PLAVE has been a fascinating development in the K-Pop industry. Their success on the charts has proven not only that K-Pop fans can connect to virtual groups, but that virtual groups can actually compete with “real” groups. Could PLAVE and virtual idols be the way of the future? I guess time will tell! With the popularity of PLAVE, if you want to pre-order the group’s albums and have them delivered quickly to your doorstep, consider using Delivered Korea’s ‘We Buy, We Ship’ or ‘You Buy, We Ship’ services or visit the DKshop.