From the virtual world of Caelum, a supernatural force led Plave to Asterum—a mystical realm that connected their planet to Earth. This bridge allowed them to share their music, thoughts, and emotions with people in the real world.
As a Korean virtual boy group introduced by Vlast, Plave is a quintet of animated artists inspired by webtoons, with each member bringing something different. Yejun, Noah, and Eunho focus on producing music and content, while Bamby and Hamin lead choreography and performance. Since debuting just over two years ago, Plave has made a major impact on the Korean music scene.
After the release of their single “Asterum,” in March 2023, they became the first virtual group to top major Korean music charts, even winning on music shows like Show Champion and Show! Music Core. In February 2025, their album Caligo Pt. 1 broke records, earning over 11 million streams on Melon in a single day—the fastest million-streaming album in 24 hours. Within a week, their total streams hit over two billion. The title track “Dash” landed on Billboard’s Global 200, with four more songs charting on Billboard’s Global Excl. US. Beyond the stats, their success comes from strong music, showmanship, and a truly unique story—something they opened up about in this chat with Rolling Stone India.
Behind the Curtain: How Plave Came to Life
Bringing Plave to life is a big-time collaborative process, with real artists behind each virtual character. This synergistic brilliance between creators, animators, and vocalists results in an identity that seamlessly blends artistic vision with technical expertise. Taking us behind the scenes, Yejun explains that the members have full creative control over their music and choreography while working closely with the technical team. “From the demo stage, we share ideas with our company staff and fine-tune the overall image and concept together. For performances or music videos, we’re involved from the storyboarding phase to truly convey the music and lyrics. Music production, choreography, and stage planning often happen simultaneously, so there are a lot of creative discussions along the way.”
Fundamentally, Plave’s creative process isn’t so different from other idol groups, but there are also clear differences, a major factor being constant consideration of what’s feasible technically. Bamby adds, “At the same time, since we’re aliens, we’re also free from some physical limitations.” This unique balance—the blend of creative freedom and technical considerations—allows Plave to tap into their creative potential while working within the challenges and opportunities of virtual technology, thanks to their company’s efforts to minimize technical constraints and let the artists express themselves freely. As the director of choreography and performance, Bamby acknowledges that this balancing act has helped them be more creative, evident in their Japanese debut showcase, where they presented innovative stage effects like members appearing, disappearing, and changing outfits mid-performance. “I think one of Plave’s biggest strengths is the ability to evolve with technology and continuously develop what we can show.”
Dreamscapes and Storytelling: The Heart of Plave’s Music
Plave’s world is vivid and imaginative, where music goes beyond melody and lyrics to build entire universes. Each track, whether it’s the pixelated fantasy of “Pixel World” or the warm nostalgia of “The 6th Summer,” leans into dreamy, emotional, and escapist themes. But at the center of all this creativity is one powerful source of inspiration: their fans, Plli. According to Noah, “The most important part is the love we receive from our fans. That love is what keeps Plave alive. When many people share the same dream, it creates something powerful. I once shared this with our fans: I didn’t believe in ‘forever’ in the past, but being with fans who love Plave made me realize that ‘forever’ can exist. It also made me want to share the unchanged love and hope with them. I think that’s where our music truly begins.”
Eunho reiterates that every song is, in a way, a message to the fans. “As Pllis are our true muse,” he says, “the source of our inspiration.” He explains their otherworldly perspective draws them to themes like dreams and imagination that “transcend time and space,” to let the fans know, “We’re always together.” It’s also deeply rooted in their virtual world, which mirrors their inner world, as Hamin reveals: “I have never thought to myself, ‘I need to find inspiration,’ because the world of Plave and my own inner world feel like they’re just naturally connected.” Referring to their weekly live broadcasts, he recalls how spontaneous moments turn into something special during these online interactive sessions. “At first, I used to get really nervous and flustered, but now I’ve come to enjoy those unexpected moments as contributions to our content. Through the broadcasts, we get to meet our fans and share not just our thoughts and emotions, but even little parts of our daily life, and that all flows quite naturally.”
Plave’s Responsibility as Virtual Idols
While virtual idols weren’t entirely a new concept in 2023, that year marked a turning point for Plave as they stepped into the music industry. Still, for many people, the idea of a virtual idol was unfamiliar, and at first, Plave wasn’t always seen as a serious group. Yejun reflects on how meaningful it’s been to see that mindset slowly shift. “The K-pop scene itself has always been dynamic and ever-changing, and I think we’re gradually carving out our own space within it. As we are more widely recognized, I definitely feel a greater sense of responsibility, too.” Today, Plave has built a large fanbase, and “an incredibly diverse one at that.” Yejun adds, “That means they have a wide range of expectations for Plave. I want to keep working hard to meet those expectations while blending the traditions of idol culture with new and creative directions.”
The band approaches these avenues and creative freedom with care and honesty, always striving to balance fans’ expectations with their own artistic freedom. They regularly go live, monitoring themselves and sharing feedback. Bamby notes, “After performances, we ask fans for their honest thoughts: ‘How was our stage? What did you think of our song? Positive feedback motivates us to do better, and if there’s anything fans weren’t comfortable with, we work hard to improve it.” Ultimately, the goal is simple: “We want to bring a little more happiness into our fans’ everyday lives.” Bamby adds, “To us, creative energy and responsibility aren’t mutually exclusive—they’re intertwined.”
Plave’s Quest for Authenticity and Connection
In a rapidly evolving music industry where AI-generated content is constantly posing challenges, Plave achieves authenticity through genuine music, performances, and fan interactions, while leveraging their digital presence to connect with fans. “We can feel a genuine connection whenever and wherever we are,” Eunho says. “I think that’s exactly what strengthens our bond and deepens our relationship with our fans.” Plave’s pursuit of authenticity extends to their pursuit of perfection in their work. For instance, when the music video for “Dash” was under production, Hamin learned the value of attention to detail and collaboration. “It was the first time I tried a more serious kind of acting,” he recalls, “and I really focused on capturing every single expression in each shot.” The experience taught him how the smallest details can make a big difference in bringing their authentic artistic vision to life.
Their music is also a true reflection of themselves, conveying heartfelt emotions. Noah explains that their songs often feature words related to “light,” symbolizing a desire to inspire hope. “Thanks to those who listen to Plave’s music, we were able to find our light again and to shine. That’s why we want to pass that light on to as many people as we can,” he says. Hamin adds, “If Plave’s music can become the soundtrack to your life, making your happy moments more exciting and giving you strength through tough times, then that alone would make us truly happy. We hope to keep filling more pages of the story we’re writing with you.”
What’s Next for Plave?
As Plave continues to write their narrative, they’ve taken a step closer to their global fanbase—the group has recently released their first Japanese original single, “Kakurenbo (Hide and Seek),” marking the beginning of their Japanese promotions. Yejun notes, “We’re most excited about our debut in Japan. With a single release and music video, we’re planning to film a variety of challenges to promote ‘Kakurenbo (Hide and Seek).’” “We’re also eager to collaborate with global artists across genres like hip-hop, rock, city pop, and more.”
This new release is an important initiative from Plave to become a global virtual idol group, sharing their universe with fans in Japan, India, Europe, North America, and beyond, according to Noah. As he looks forward, he reveals, “We’re gearing up for an Asia tour in the latter half of this year. I’m excited to see our music and performances evolve on a larger scale, and I hope we’ll grow with each stage we step on.”
Connecting with India: Plave’s Thoughts
With the 2025 Plave Asia Tour [Dash: Quantum Leap] kicking off in August across six cities—Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Tokyo—Eunho’s thoughts turn to India as a potential stop to explore. “I’m fascinated by the country’s very wide spectrum of music enjoyed by listeners,” he says, adding, “If the right opportunity arises, I’d love for Plave to collaborate with Indian artists and create something completely new, maybe mixing Bollywood sounds or traditional Indian instruments like the sitar and tabla with EDM or hybrid pop. I think we can come up with a very exciting and new track!”
Hamin remarks, “We often hear that Plave’s performances resemble a musical, and I think such theatrical quality might appeal to the Indian audience as well. I’ve heard that festivals in India are incredibly grand and diverse in theme, and it would be amazing for us to be part of that someday. Performing on stage at a music festival in India would truly be an honor!” He extends a heartfelt message to the Indian fans: “To all our Plli in India, we can’t wait to meet you in person. It’s so touching that you love Plave’s music beyond language and cultural differences. Your support and acceptance in response to our sincerity are truly the motivation for Plave to continue making music. We’ll keep bringing you great songs, and we hope you’ll keep watching us with interest!”