Virtual Idols: Tomorrows Big Names In Music Wont Exist For Real
Apokey started his career in April 2019, covering songs by artists such as Kehlani, Blackpink, and BOA. Image: Courtesy of Sony Music via ETX Daily Up.
Virtual idols have enjoyed great success in Asia for several years. Now they are taking over the whole world. One of them, Apokey, managed to attract the attention of Sony Music, one of the most influential names in the international music scene. World fame far behind?
Like every year, the end of the summer school holidays is a great time to release new music. Apokey is one of the artists of the year with his new song "West Swing," which he recently collaborated with California rapper E-40.
The song is an apocalyptic approach to the New Jack Swing style that was popular in the late 80's and late 90's, blending hip-hop and R&B, but seeking to reach a wider audience. Although the K-pop singer has a large following in South Korea, he is not well known outside his home country.
One reason is that Apokey is not an ordinary human artist, but a fictional pop star. Idols 2.0 has been very successful in Asia, especially in China and Japan, where they have built large fan communities. For example, Apokin has more than 3.7 million followers on TikTok and 291,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Built for success
He started his career in April 2019 by performing songs from artists such as Kehlani, Blackpink and BOA. Two years later, he released his debut K-pop single "GET IT OUT". Music lovers can experience the incredible journey of a humanoid rabbit living somewhere in outer space and the Y2K aesthetic of studio AFUN INTERACTIVE.
This South Korean startup specializes in the production of real-time 3D content. A partnership with Sony Music Solutions in Japan was recently announced to develop Apoke's work internationally.
"At AFUN INTERACTIVE we are experimenting with new genres of virtual entertainment, so we look forward to seeing different combinations we can come up with together with Sony," said AFUN INTERACTIVE CEO DK Kwon.
Like all virtual idols, Apokey was created to live up to the expectations of its fans, which represents a true paradigm shift in who an artist is today.
"I can do everything we dream of. It's a shame I can't perform in real life, but as a fantasy artist I can do a lot to make up for it and more."
Music age 2.0
This digital pop star is the most visible aspect of one of the major trends in the entertainment industry. The technology that created it, artificial intelligence, is used in the field of music creation. Kara Mar, a not-so-fiction DJ duo, released Anthroponic Principle in December, an album of eight techno tracks created by artificial intelligence. Even the FN Mecha tracks are completely algorithmically structured. Men."
It's tempting to make dystopian and alarmist predictions about what the rise of all these digital pop stars will mean for the future of music. Although some record companies, such as Universal Music, support the development of these virtual artists, they are not intended to replace the original artist.
But one thing's for sure: Avatar's music career is pretty easy to get along with. They are much thinner and smoother than their actual counterparts.
"I don't have to worry about my shape ... so I can eat as much as I want," Apoki told Billboard Japan.
This is a good statement considering that many K-pop artists are tightly controlled by management who dictate what they eat and what plastic surgery they have to undergo to maintain their slim figure. Apoki does not need to go under the knife - minor defects can be removed with a few mouse clicks. JB
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