Plave enters Billboard, sets record

Plave, who has been demonstrating the potential of virtual artists in the Korean music industry, made an impressive entry onto the Billboard chart, signaling possibilities for success in the global market.

According to the group's agency Vlast, the main track "Dash" from Plave’s third mini album "Caligo Pt.1," released on Feb. 3, debuted at No. 195 on the Billboard Global 200 chart on Wednesday. This marks the first time a virtual artist has entered the chart.

The Billboard Global 200 chart ranks songs based on online streaming and digital sales figures from over 200 regions worldwide, including the US.

Debuting in March 2023, Plave is a five-member virtual idol group that has been solidifying its position in K-pop while continuously setting new records.

Behind the group are five performers who create content in motion capture suits that transform their actions smoothly to the screen in an animated form. The group is also known for actively participating in songwriting, composing and producing their music.

With such strengths, Plave stands strong in the K-pop scene, even though the format of virtual idols is still unfamiliar to the public.

"Caligo Pt. 1" has achieved remarkable success in the domestic music market. Within two hours and 20 minutes after its release, the album surpassed one million streams on Melon, a major Korean music platform. It also recorded 11 million cumulative streams within 24 hours.

Additionally, Plave’s total streams across all released songs reached 1 billion, earning them a spot in Melon’s prestigious Billions Club. According to the Hanteo Chart, album sales in the first week after its release totaled 1,039,308 copies, marking a new career high for Plave.