The competition is growing fiercer day by day. In the world of K-pop, it is no longer enough to be called a ‘sibling group of XYZ.’ You need to make headlines even before debuting to capture attention. Now, rookies who have been making waves even before debuting are lining up to make their mark. From the hottest virtual idols to new girl groups, the stage is set.
From the virtual to the real world: Nævis, emerging from aespa’s universe.
Nævis, who was once an ally within aespa’s fictional universe, is now stepping into the real world as SM Entertainment’s first official virtual artist. The ultimate idol, she never sweats no matter how much she dances, nor does she lose her breath no matter how much she sings. Nævis is no unfamiliar rookie virtual artist; she has been famous since 3 years ago. Within aespa’s universe, she was their steadfast supporter, and in the real world, she has now debuted backed by K-pop powerhouse aespa.
Nævis is a key figure in aespa’s intricate fictional universe. To understand her, one must first understand aespa’s universe. She gained recognition with the line “Nævis calling” from Aespa’s hit song “Next Level.”
aespa is the first K-pop girl group to feature avatar members alongside its real-world members. The group is actually composed of eight members—four in the real world (Karina, Winter, Giselle, Ningning) and four virtual members (known as “ae-Aespa”). Nævis connects these two worlds. Within the fictional world, she had been punished by the gods, sealed in a place called “The Flat,” where she kept watch over the wilderness of “Kwangya.” She defied the divine rules, broke free from the Flat, and saved aespa from “Black Mamba.” Her ultimate goal is the “real world.” This marks the debut storyline of Nævis.
Nævis’s storyline, planned three years ago, officially debuts with her new song “Done,” which depicts her journey toward freedom from the forces that once oppressed her. An SM official said, ” ‘Done’ represents Nævis’s first step forward. The mysterious and tense atmosphere, combined with grand synth sounds, perfectly embodies the narrative of her determination to enter a new world.” The lyrics describe her moving forward toward her own world without looking back after completing one chapter (Done).
Nævis made her surprise debut at aespa’s second solo concert in June, and more content related to her universe is set to be released soon. While there has been much curiosity about Nævis’s real-life counterpart, it seems unlikely she will be revealed since her voice is created using AI voice technology, similar to senior virtual artist PLAVE.
Two weeks before Nævis’s debut, a new virtual idol group, AEONIT, was also introduced to the world.
Composed of five members (Saebyeok, Chanyu, Leon, Yuan, Wooju), AEONIT debuted with their single “LUMOS,” which speaks of illuminating the world with the bright light of meeting each other. Their universe revolves around the theme of “youth” as the five members begin and grow together.
AEONIT is a self-produced idol group, with all members participating in the album. Nam Woo-hyun from INFINITE and Lee Jae-jun from TAN contributed to composing and writing lyrics, while ONF’s Wyatt also participated in writing lyrics. AEONIT was created by Onmind, a company specializing in virtual humans, which previously developed virtual human Na Sua.
The launch of the ‘Teddy’s Girl Group’ MEOVV may spark a new girl group battle
Even before debuting, Ella Gross, a former child model with 4.23 million followers, has joined Teddy’s girl group, MEOVV, which was finally introduced to the world on September 6th with their debut single of the same name. MEOVV means “cat’s meow.”
Composed of five members (Sooin, Gawon, Anna, Narin, and Ella), MEOVV is the first girl group launched by The Black Label. Given that The Black Label was a YG-affiliated label and Teddy was a key producer behind BLACKPINK’s successful career, anticipation for the ‘Teddy’s girl group’ has been high from the beginning.
In their debut track “MEOW” with a catchy melody with a bass sound, Teddy contributed to the lyrics. His influence can be felt throughout the group’s music, visuals, and performance. Member Gawon mentioned, “Teddy producer pays attention to even the smallest details we had not considered. He discusses everything with us, and his words always inspire us.” The members explained that their debut song showcases MEOVV’s multifaceted identity.
Miaow aims to be the representative group of the 5th generation. Ella confidently stated, “We all have unique strengths, and when we are together, our charisma is unmatched.” Anna added, “We hope the name ‘MEOVV’ conjures up a strong image. We want to leave a mark as a team.“
MEOVV faces strong competition. Even though they have not debuted yet, another 7-member girl group, izna, formed through Mnet’s show “I-Land 2” and involving Teddy’s production, is emerging as a rival under the same label. With a solid fanbase already established through the show, depending on when they debut, they are likely to shake up the K-pop scene in the second half of the year.
Their strongest competitor will undoubtedly be SM’s new girl group. SM’s new girl group, set to debut 4 years after Aespa, remains shrouded in mystery, with no information about the members or number of members disclosed yet. Their debut is expected around the end of the year or early next year. Alongside MEOVV and izna, this could mark the beginning of a new three-way battle, following in the footsteps of the current powerhouses like NewJeans, IVE, and LE SSERAFIM.
Source: Daum
