PLAVE, the Five Human Artists Behind the Avatars

PLAVE’s appearance may be digital, but the voices and movements belong to human artists. The K-pop group, which debuted in March 2023, has five members: leader Yejun, Noah, Bamby, Eunho and Hamin. Behind the avatars, the performers also take part in making the music.

Each PLAVE member is played by a dedicated performer, rather than having their vocals and dance performances split between multiple people. Motion capture allows the avatar to mirror that artist’s movements on screen.

The performers’ real identities are not disclosed to the public. VLAST, the company that serves as the group’s label and management agency, does say that they previously pursued careers in K-pop or R&B.

In April 2024, during a press conversation covered by The Korea Times, VLAST head Lee Sung-gu described this human element as the key to PLAVE’s success.

VLAST designed PLAVE with an aesthetic inspired by manhwa, or Korean comics. The company started out as a computer graphics studio providing services to other businesses before expanding into real-time production and virtual intellectual property.

The artists behind the avatars do more than sing and dance. They contribute to songwriting and music production, create choreography and play instruments on the group’s tracks.

Real-time animation allows PLAVE to hold regular livestreams with their fans, known as PLLI. When performing from VLAST’s headquarters, the artists can see fans and respond to them directly.

In an interview with Billboard, Bamby explains that being a virtual group means PLAVE relies more heavily on communication platforms to connect with their audience. PLAVE thus pairs digital characters with artists who create, perform and talk with fans without revealing their real identities.