--- title: "New K-Pop Band Will Include an Entirely CGI Singer" description: "ae-KARINA Brand new K-pop girl band aespa has announced it’s adding a new member to its ranks called “ae-KARINA.” There’s something different about her though: she’s an entirely virtual avatar, not a real singer like her fellow band members. The band, licensed under South Korea’s largest entertainment company SM Entertainment, confirmed that the band will […]" date: "2020-10-28" modified: "2020-11-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-k-pop-band-include-cgi-performer" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "South Korea" - "the digest" - "virtual" --- # New K-Pop Band Will Include an Entirely CGI Singer ![K-pop girl band aespa has announced it's adding a new and completely virtual member to its ranks called "ae-KARINA."]() *\Image: aespa\* ## ae-KARINA K-pop girl band aespa has announced that it's adding a new member to its ranks named "ae-KARINA." There's something different about her though. She's an entirely virtual, computer generated avatar, not a real singer like her [fellow band members](). The band, licensed under SM Entertainment, [confirmed]() that its work will feature both real life and "virtual" band members. https://youtu.be/VuguHFfbJ1w ## Digital Doppelganger The backstory of ae-KARINA says she's 20 years old, from Korea — and the digital counterpart to the band's IRL band member Karina, also a 20 year old from Korea. The pair reportedly have "various skills including vocals, rap, and dance," [according to English-language k-pop site *Soompi*](). A new video uploaded by the site introduces the virtual avatar and discusses how the various band members connect with her via social media. It's not clear who will be running the virtual band member's accounts. ## Going Virtual The South Korean entertainment industry is no stranger to putting a digital avatar on stage. For instance, the band K/DA is [entirely virtual]() and was created by Riot Games, the developer behind the popular online battle game "League of Legends." Hatsune Miku, an entirely computer-generated "vocaloid" powered by a Japanese media company, also was [set to perform at Coachella]() this year. But as you may have heard, basically every major music event, including Coachella, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. **READ MORE:** [aespa introduce their virtual member system in an interview with Karina and her counterpart, æ-Karina]() \[*allkpop*\] **More on virtual stars:** *[Virtual Music Star Hatsune Miku to Perform at Coachella]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()