Virtual K-pop group Plave continues steady rise

While Ateez and Rescene, two K-pop acts from smaller agencies, have emerged as major players in an industry dominated by entertainment giants in the second half, virtual boy group Plave has been quietly carving out its own success story.

The group's latest EP, "Hyperdrive," released Oct. 13, offers fresh evidence of that growth. According to figures released by Hanteo Chart on Oct. 19, the album sold approximately 1.32 million copies in its first week, surpassing the group's previous record of 1.25 million set by its fourth EP, "Caligo Pt. 2," in April.

The achievement is particularly notable for a group whose five members have built a substantial following without revealing their real faces. Unlike conventional K-pop acts, Plave performs through animated avatars, with the members' movements and expressions captured in real time using motion-capture technology.

The latest sales record continues a steady upward trajectory that began with relatively modest figures following the group's debut in March 2023.

Plave's debut single album, "Asterum," sold approximately 28,000 copies in its first week. Five months later, its first EP, "Asterum: The Shape of Things to Come," recorded around 204,000 copies, more than seven times the debut figure.

The growth continued in 2024, when its second EP, "Asterum: 134-1," sold approximately 569,000 copies in its opening week.

A major turning point came in February 2025, when Plave's third EP, "Caligo Pt. 1," surpassed 1 million copies in first-week sales, making Plave the first virtual idol group to reach the milestone. Its subsequent releases have maintained that level of commercial success.

The group's appeal has also extended beyond physical album sales. After the digital album "Hyperdrive" was released on Oct. 12, all five tracks had made the top five on Melon's Top 100 chart by midnight the following day. The songs also reached the top five on Genie and Bugs, two other major South Korean music platforms.

Plave consists of Yejun, Noah, Bambi, Eunho and Hamin. Although the members appear publicly through virtual characters, they participate directly in songwriting, composition, production and choreography, distinguishing the act from entirely computer-generated performers.

The group has also expanded its reach beyond South Korea. It became the first virtual K-pop act to enter the Billboard 200 albums chart and is currently undertaking its first world tour, "Keep It Manic," with performances across Asia and a Los Angeles stop scheduled for November.