I first found PLAVE through a random article. The headline said: “A virtual idol group is set to perform on a music show.” The piece explained how “each member has a real performer behind them, with cameras and special equipment turning their movements into 2D characters who can actually perform on stage.”
(PLAVE - Hamin, Noah, Yejun, Bamby, Eunho)
That alone was wild to me, but when I hit play, what grabbed me wasn’t the flashy visuals. It was the music. The songs were way better than I expected. I ended up looping their albums and even lurking on their YouTube Lives—the main place they hung out. But still, I kept telling myself, “I’m not a fan. Not yet.” Classic denial phase.
(The stage that first pulled me in — PLAVE)
The moment I caved was during leader Yejun’s birthday livestream. His members were celebrating, fans were leaving heartfelt messages, and suddenly he teared up. The tears weren’t literally rendered, but you could feel it in his trembling voice, his gaze, the way his whole expression shifted. For me, that was it. He wasn’t just a character on a screen anymore—he was a real person.
PLAVE’s stages may be virtual, but their journey has been ridiculously real. Back in October 2022, before debut, Yejun and Noah were just trainees busking on the streets of Hongdae. After officially debuting in March 2023, they kept up steady YouTube Lives and popped up on music and radio shows. Then only seven months later, in September, they hit their first offline stage at MBC’s Idol Radio Live in Seoul.
(Before debut, Yejun and Noah busked on the streets of Hongdae)
From there it snowballed. April 2024: their first fan concert, 'Hello, Asterum!', at the 3,000-seat Olympic Hall. October: an encore at the 6,000-seat Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium. And then August 2025—only two years after debut—they sold out three nights at the 14,000-seat KSPO Dome, kicking off their Asia Tour 'DASH: Quantum Leap'. In November, they’re set to hit Gocheok Sky Dome, a 16,000-seat venue where only the biggest names in K-pop have performed.
(Highlight of PLAVE’s encore fan concert)
KSPO Dome has long been called a “dream stage.” It’s not a place you just casually book—you need the kind of fandom that can actually fill it. Gocheok is even rarer. Until now, it’s mostly been major boy groups from the biggest agencies, plus Blackpink as the lone girl group. And now? PLAVE’s name is on that list. Honestly, when I first read it, I thought: no way. But here we are.
(PLAVE’s Asia Tour ‘DASH: Quantum Leap’ concert at KSPO Dome in August 2025)
Seeing them sing live, connecting with tens of thousands in real time—it’s proof. Proof that what makes an artist isn’t the tech behind them, but the sincerity they bring on stage.
(PLAVE on an extended stage with full-scale effects at KSPO Dome)
Of course, before all this, people loved to throw around easy takes. “They don’t have privacy risks.” (That line still gets recycled, sigh.) “AI must be writing their songs.” Or the wildest one: “You could just swap out the performers if needed.” But anyone who’s actually followed them knows better. The pull of PLAVE has never been about convenience or effects. It’s about the story they tell, and the way they carry themselves when the spotlight hits.
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*Last updated: 2025.09.02
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