This is very common in K-Pop already, with many major music shows recording idol performances that are then posted to YouTube and other social media platforms to be viewed by other fans unable to attend the shows themselves. In its simplest form, this would include video recordings or livestreams of stage performances. The most basic definition of a “Virtual stage” could be any performance that is not attended in-person. While there is a separate discussion to be had about the ethical concerns of the metaverse and virtual idols in K-Pop (see the article from the Center for Digital Society for more information), I would like to focus on what I think are the three main types of challenges that K-Pop entertainment companies and fans face when trying to bridge the gap between the real and virtual worlds: Bringing real idols to virtual stages, bringing virtual idols to real stages, and merging the two realities together.Ĭhallenge #1: Bringing Real Idols to Virtual Stages Reaching this target fan demographic is also a motivating factor for the K-Pop industry to pursue virtual outlets for their entertainment, both for accessibility to a growing international market, and for novelty-to stand out amid the flood of new K-Pop debuts and comebacks each year. Even large-scale events like KCON and the MNET Asian Music Awards show utilized livestreaming and digital effects to bring K-Pop performances to their remote audiences.Īt the same time, Gen Z represents the largest age demographic of global K-Pop fans (according to a survey analysis published by Towards Data Science), who grew up with digital platforms as their playground and tend to have a much lower tolerance for inauthentic experiences compared to previous generations. At first, this was due to necessity – in 2020 and the majority of 2021, most live concerts and fanmeets were canceled due to the health risks, and organizers were forced to consider virtual options if they wanted to hold events at all. Since the pandemic, more and more K-Pop entertainment companies have sought to evolve their groups’ concerts, concepts, and content, taking advantage of modern technology to deliver new experiences to their fans. It didn’t take me long to understand the appeal of these groups and start interacting with other fans as one of their own. As I learned more about K-Pop stan culture, I saw much of the same thing – the desire for authenticity found through the idols who could make their fans smile brightly enough to forget their troubles for a while, and the fandoms that formed around these artists. In virtual worlds, I found many other people in similar situations to my own, desperate for authentic interactions with a dose of escapism. I had very little exposure to either of the two prior to the pandemic I had only tried Beat Saber in VR once or twice, and I hadn’t listened to much K-Pop in the last decade and only knew that a lot of people liked BTS – REALLY liked them. During this time, there were two things that helped me reconnect to outside communities: virtual reality and K-Pop. Laid off from my job and unable to leave the house except for the most basic needs, even an introvert like myself began to feel more hopeless and isolated. It was late spring 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic was reaching its climax, and the realities of quarantine were beginning to take a toll on my mental health.
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