Plave soars while Naevis struggles to find footing in K-pop

Virtual idol group Plave is making waves in the K-pop industry, captivating fans with its “human-like charm” and sense of humor. The boy band’s third EP “Caligo Pt. 1,” released on Feb. 6, has further cemented its popularity, with its main track “Dash” topping Melon’s Top 100 chart on its release day.

While Plave’s influence continues to grow, SM Entertainment’s virtual artist Naevis has yet to achieve similar success. Industry experts suggest this is largely due to the fundamental difference in their positioning -- Plave operates like a traditional K-pop group, whereas Naevis remains more of a storytelling character within SM Entertainment’s metaverse concept, at least for now.

Plave consists of five animated members -- Yejun, Noah, Bamby, Eunho and Hamin -- who, unlike traditional AI-generated idols, are controlled by real-life individuals through motion capture and voice acting. The members actively engage with fans via live streams, perform virtual concerts and release original music, making them more personal and relatable to fans.

Naevis, on the other hand, was initially introduced as an AI character in aespa and SM’s fictional lore, Kwangya, rather than as an independent K-pop artist. While she officially debuted as a singer with "Done" in September last year, fans still perceive her primarily as a concept rather than an artist.

SM Entertainment’s plan to expand Naevis' presence across various platforms, including webtoons, games and brand collaborations, has only made it harder for her to establish a clear identity as a singer.

“Plave debuted with a well-defined identity -- as a musician. However, Naevis was introduced with multiple roles, which ultimately blurred her image,” a local entertainment official said on Friday.

“If she was meant to be a singer, she should have first solidified her recognition in that role before expanding into other areas. But because she was exposed in diverse ways from the start, her core identity remains unclear.”

Her limited discography poses another challenge.

Although Naevis first appeared in aespa’s “Black Mamba” music video in November 2020, she has only participated in “Welcome to My World” in 2023 as a featured artist before making her solo debut with “Done” in 2024.

In K-pop, constant activity is crucial for building momentum, and Naevis has yet to be active enough musically to gain widespread attention.

Music critic Cha Woo-jin said that, unlike Plave, Naevis functions more as a virtual human, which leads to higher production costs and inevitably limits her activities.

“While both are virtual idols, their attributes set them apart -- Naevis is closer to a virtual human, whereas Plave operates more like a VTuber,” Cha said Friday.

Cha added that Naevis still needs time to establish herself, as her official debut only happened last year.

“From an outsider’s perspective, quick success might seem ideal, but for management, longevity is more important than immediate impact. You never know when a breakthrough will happen,” he said.