Virtual Pop Stars Have Real People Behind Them
Wednesday, October 21, 2026164 words3 minutes150 reads
A concert can have virtual singers and still depend on real people. South Korean group PLAVE showed this at its first Singapore concert on October 17, at APEX @ EXPO. Its five members appeared as animated characters on screens.
Behind each character is a human performer. Special equipment tracks the person's movements and transfers them to the screen. This process is called motion capture. The voices also come from people. Seeing a virtual character therefore does not mean watching a performance created entirely by artificial intelligence, or AI.
The digital format allows unusual stage effects. Characters can change clothes instantly or appear on another screen. Yet technology was only part of this concert's appeal.
The performers used Singlish, the local form of English, including expressions such as “shiok” and “steady lah”. Fans responded with cheers. Familiar language helped the group connect with the audience. The show offered a useful distinction: a computer can create an artist's visible form while a person supplies the performance.
