"It perfectly fulfills the dreams of fans. Is there any other idol as perfect as this?"

Office worker 'A,' who self-proclaims to be a veteran idol fan of 20 years, has recently gained a reputation among acquaintances as an evangelist for virtual idols. With visuals that look as if they stepped out of a comic book, great music, and no risk of dating scandals or controversies, 'A' enthusiastically recommends them as an ideal choice for stanning.

Just a year ago, 'A's coworkers would scoff, asking, "Why do you like virtual idols?" However, it is said that those same co-workers have now joined in on the fandom. Cultural critic Kim Heon Sik analyzes, "Virtual idols already have perfected visuals, so fans can focus entirely on their music. Since they stay devoted only to their fans without distractions, they offer ideal conditions for dedicated fandom."

This has opened up the era of virtual idols. They are demonstrating immense influence in music streaming and album sales, rivaling real K-pop idols. With the rapid advancement of cutting-edge technologies like AI (Artificial Intelligence) and XR (Extended Reality), virtual idols can now hold offline fan meetings and even perform concerts.

A leading example is the five-member group PLAVE. Launched in March 2023 by the virtual IP (intellectual property) startup Vlast, PLAVE is not AI-based virtual humans but actual people performing as virtual characters. By utilizing the Unreal Engine, a graphics game engine and development tool, and real-time motion capture technology, they can execute dynamic K-pop choreography.

The response has been phenomenal. PLAVE's third mini-album, 'Caligo Part 1,' released on February 3, sold 1,038,308 copies in its first week. This makes them the first boy group of 2025 and the first virtual idol ever to surpass 1 million first-week sales. Their success extends to digital charts as well—its title track "Dash" topped major streaming charts upon release and broke records with 11 million cumulative streams within 24 hours on Melon, making it the most-streamed album in 24 hours among all releases on the platform.

The key to PLAVE's popularity is "good music." Another female fan, 'B,' who has been active in idol fandoms for over a decade, shared, "Whenever I search for a song I like, I often find out it's by PLAVE. Their visuals and music are both so satisfying that there's no reason not to become a fan."

As virtual idols gain popularity, the advertising industry is showering them with offers. Last year, Lotte Mart and Lotte Super released a limited-edition "PLAVE Lotte Pepero" ahead of Pepero Day (November 11), which was an instant hit—90% of the product stock sold out within an hour of store openings. Even after increasing production, the additional stock sold out within a day.

SM Entertainment's virtual artist Naevis was selected as the holiday season muse for the lifestyle brand Holly's in December last year. The "Strawberry is Partying" promotion she endorsed led to a 199% sales increase compared to the previous season’s whole cakes. Another virtual idol group, Isegye Idol, from Parable Entertainment, collaborated with the braised chicken brand DooJjim, resulting in an "open-run" (customers lining up before store opening) sellout.

An industry insider noted, "Virtual idols are free from human-related risks, are not bound by time and space constraints, and have great scalability. Their influence is expected to expand further in music, advertising, and the metaverse."

SEE ALSO: PLAVE take home first music show win for "Dash" on 'Show Champion'