On Sunday, 2 March, I had the pleasure of joining thousands of fans at London’s OVO Arena Wembley for aespa’s sold-out London concert, Synk: Parallel Line.
I’ve seen several Korean acts at this venue over the years, each with their own unique conceptual charms that tend to set K-pop apart from other types of music. Red Velvet, for example, took a storytelling approach to their concert in June 2023, while ITZY performed with a live band in April 2024.
What set aespa’s stage apart was the way it brought another side of Korea to the UK: a taste of cutting-edge technology in the form of virtual idol Nævis.
In my experience, while many younger people in the UK know Korea best for K-pop, K-dramas and travel, older Brits tend to be more familiar with the nation’s tech giants, like Samsung, LG, and Daewoo. These days, however, the two worlds are starting to become increasingly blended.
Technology has been part of aespa’s concept and worldview since their debut, when they revealed their animated ‘ae’ counterparts. Nævis, another key character from the group’s universe and storyline, also recently made her solo debut as a virtual idol.
Nævis represents a collaboration between SM Entertainment and LG that’s been years in the making, using LG’s new Ixi-Gen generative AI system. Now, thanks to state-of-the-art anamorphic 3D technology, Nævis is able to “perform” convincingly on stage — just as she did in London this month.
While music fans tend to have mixed reactions to the use of artificial intelligence, the crowd at aespa’s concert seemed to be suitably impressed by Nævis’s solo stage, which appears in the middle of the group’s setlist.
Reactions from fans in the audience started out quiet, but quickly shifted from initial curiosity to genuine interest and surprising cheers. The technology at play uses optical illusions to make the virtual idol look like she’s really standing on stage, and I was surprised myself by how well it worked.
The performance itself, which first premiered at aespa's Seoul concert in June 2024, was directed by Shim Jae Won: one of the most beloved creatives for human idols at aespa’s agency SM Entertainment. That in itself is a sign of just how seamless the integration between technology and K-pop is becoming.
Naturally, the performances from Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning were the most enjoyable part of the night for everyone in attendance. That being said, amidst the sea of lightsticks and fanchants, it was definitely exciting to see a new phase for K-pop concerts.
K-artists are often known for putting on great productions, but I’m interested to see how technology makes these concerts even more exciting in the future, especially as Korean continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
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