Ahead of the 1st "Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2024" ("ASEA"), the final voting to determine the winners has begun on IDOLCHAMP, starting from 10AM on March 15th. The glamorous event looks to become a place where music, stars, and fans become one.

【ASEA2024日本開催決定!!】
アジアを代表するトップアーティストが出演し、世界中のファンと音楽で一つになる授賞式「ASIA STAR ENTERTAINER AWARDS 2024(ASEA 2024)」、その記念すべき第1回目が2024年4月10日に日本で開催される事が決定!!!#ASEA2024 pic.twitter.com/O0T8APQVVu

— ASEA_official_jp【公式】 (@aseaofficial_jp) February 6, 2024

In the ASEA final voting categories, a large number of internationally loved K-Pop artists are nominated for the following categories: 'Best Male/Female Group Award', 'Best Male/Female Soloist Award', 'Trot', 'Virtual', 'Rookie Award', and 'Popularity Award'.

Check out the artists you can vote for down below.

 

Final Nominees

Best Male Group Award

Stray Kids

TXT

EXO

TREASURE

SEVENTEEN

 

Best Female Group Award

NiziU

VIVIZ

TWICE

OH MY GIRL

Kep1er

 

Best Male Soloist Award

Lim YoungWoong

SHINee's TaeMin

BTS' JungKook

Kang Daniel

BTS' Suga

 

Best Female Soloist Award

TWICE's JiHyo

BLACKPINK's JiSoo

MAMAMOO's HwaSa

SunMi

Red Velvet's SeulGi

 

Trot Award

YoungTak

Lee ChanWon

Jung DongWon

Kim HeeJae

Hong JiYoon

 

Virtual Award

PLAVE

SUPERKIND

MAVE

ISEGYE IDOL

RE:Revolution

 

Rookie Award

JD1's Jung DongWon

ZEROBASEONE

PLAVE

TWS

POW

 

Popularity Award

Lim YongWoong

BTS' JiMin

BTS' V

Stray Kids

Kang Daniel

EXO

SHINee's TaeMin

BTS' Suga

BTS' JungKook

NiziU

 

You can participate in the "ASEA" final voting through the mobile fandom apps, IDOLCHAMP and PODOAL. Once the final voting period ends, the results will be announced at "ASEA", which will be held at K-Arena Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan on April 10th.

"ASEA 2024" is hosted by Newsen, Korea's leading entertainment and sports media outlet which boasts 19 long years of valued tradition. They are also joined by '앳스타일' (@star1), an online entertainment media outlet that has been steadily publishing Star & Style Magazine for 12 years. The prestigious event is organized by ASEA Organizing Committee and Japan's ZOZOTOWN.

Additionally, "ASEA 2024" will have world renowned K-Pop artists and Asian singers who've accomplished several significant achievements over the past year take the stage. They will create an extraordinary experience, mesmerizing fans in the audience and watching from home.

 

Kpopmap Exclusive IDOLCHAMP Coupon Sale

For those looking to support their favorite artist via IDOLCHAMP, Kpopmap is here to help! In partnership with the mobile fandom app, Kpopmap users are able to purchase IDOLCHAMP coupons at a Kpopmap exclusive discount price!

You can head here to purchase IDOLCHAMP coupons today and help your favorite K-Pop artist win "ASEA 2024"!

Who will you be voting for?

K-Pop keeps growing as a genre, each year more groups are being released, and they keep improving the quality of their work. New trends and technologies are adopted to develop the K-Pop industry and keep up with the rest of the world. Those days, people are hooked on the trends of AI technologies and the existence of the Metaverse. Two virtual assets that are slowly, yet surely, making their way into the K-Pop world.

You probably already faced some very developed virtual content about K-Pop and K-Pop singers, without even realizing it. The virtual world is now playing a big role in the K-Pop industry, with virtual merchandising and computer-generated groups, but how far can that technology develop in the K-Pop world?

Let's dive into those codes and systems to see all the benefits and flaws of AI-related content in the K-Pop industry.

 

1. Virtual merchandising meeting divided opinions from fans

For a long time, K-Pop photocards have been one of the fans' most treasured pieces of merchandise. That was also one of the main reasons that pushed them to buy physical albums instead of simply downloading the tracks on streaming platforms. However, those days, it is not rare to come across 'AR cards' or even 'virtual photocards'. AR cards are usually found in specific physical versions of an album and only contain a QR code, but some do remain with a regular picture on it. However, AR cards are not regular photocards. May it be a picture or a QR code, fans will be able to scan them with a designated app, and new content will be unlocked. For cards with a QR code, it can lead to a simple picture, but also a video or even a vocal message. As for AR cards with a picture on them, they usually lead to a video of the idol at the moment of taking the picture, or a miniature version of the member on the photocard. That was the case for ONEUS' AR photocards from their album "MALUS". The use of AI technology enabled to recreate the member dancing to the new song, or even saying a few words as if he were just in front of the fan.

But AR cards are not the only merchandising making use of virtual features. Indeed, virtual photocards are a new thing in the K-Pop world. Those cannot be found when buying an album, but are more likely on communication platforms such as Bstage, or when participating in an event such as a fan call on certain platforms. Virtual photocards are exclusive pictures of an idol that are being sent to fans through e-mail or designated platforms, giving the uniqueness of the original photocards while having the benefit of being directly on one's phone or computer. While this sounds very convenient - no more losing photocards, buying binders after binders to fit them all - many fans complained about this system. Having virtual photocards took out the excitement of pulling out random cards and being able to expose them somewhere. Some fans also noticed that albums or events including virtual merch did not always differ much in price compared to physical albums or events, while there was no paper to be printed, making look like they were being taken advantage of.

So, while the new virtual merchandising system has some benefits and trendiness to it, it is not quite flawless, and physical photocards are still the main piece of goods fans are looking for.

 

2. K-Pop groups with computer-generated members

The core of K-Pop groups is to have members making music and performing in front of their fans, however recently, the industry started switching things up. There are now a few groups that count one or more virtual members. Those members are entirely part of the group, performing with other regular members, and even having their own content on the group's social media. That is the case of the group SUPERKIND. They were the first group to introduce a virtual member, and they were quite the talk during their debut year. But if it started from one member, there are now a few groups that are completely composed of computer-generated members. You probably saw MAVE: or PLAVE before, they are gaining more popularity each day among Korean fans while having no physical members. Those groups display the technological progress of Korea, especially in the K-Pop industry, and show that nowadays, it is not necessary for a group to physically exist to be successful. That is very cost-efficient for agencies, and probably they could generate twice as many K-Pop groups using this technology. However, considering that none of those members are existing people, with a mind of their own, they cannot fulfill all tasks that K-Pop idols are currently doing. Such as fansigns, or mini-fan meetings during the group's promotion. As those groups are computer-generated images, they cannot be projected anywhere at any time. And we all know how precious those events are for both fans and idols, seeing them disappear would be a shame, certainly, regular K-Pop groups will live on for many more years.

 

3. K-Pop groups in the metaverse

On top of groups with virtual members, K-Pop groups are also diving into the metaverse. The metaverse is no other than a virtual world based on existing elements, where people can create avatars and live a whole new life. In the past, we saw many collaborations between K-Pop groups and metaverse platforms such as Zepetto, one of the most popular metaverse platforms in Korea. Those collaborations included clothes collections inspired by K-Pop groups' outfits being added to the website wardrobe, or even virtual projections of the group's concerts. But such collaborations are now in the past as some groups are now being fully active on the metaverse while existing in the real world as well. That is the case of Triple iz, a rookie group debuting both in the real world and in the metaverse. Each member has an avatar on the platform with unique content for fans to discover. It will be the first of its kind, but probably not the last. The metaverse is only starting to merge with the K-Pop world, we are yet to see the possibilities of this new technology.

 

4. AI-generated communication platform

That is probably the newest trend in the K-Pop world, using AI to generate private chats between fans and idols. It is the services provided by CreChat, a new communication platform for K-Pop fans, using AI technology to generate idol's voice, visuals, messages, and more. The AI is using existing data about the idol to recreate an accurate version that will chat with fans. This platform offers exclusive content, also AI-generated, such as New Year messages and more. While it sounds crazy to recreate an idol using AI, considering that the idol already exists, it allows more private interaction with fans in any language and easily made content, no need for the idol's time, a photographer or cameraman and such, just a computer can do the trick. It is another very cost-efficient technology agencies could make use of. However, that new system is facing mixed reactions. While the content on the platform is purely AI-generated, it is not impossible that some fans get too much into it and end up requesting the actual idol to act as the AI-generated version of him or herself. Plus, as AI-generated content grows within the K-Pop community, fans get more and more opportunities to turn their desire into reality through virtual content. That is what concerns most fans, they fear that people with bad intentions could make use of those same technologies to create twisted content that could cause damage to K-Pop idols. Hopefully, it won't get to that stage and agencies will be careful about the content being shared, even by AI.

 

5. K-Pop and AI from covers to filters, anyone can become a K-Pop idol

As mentioned previously, many platforms are now using AI-generated content, especially SNS such as TikTok or Instagram. People can now play with filters to add cute decorations to their pictures and videos, and as AI technology develops, the range of possibilities is only getting wider. Nowadays, you can listen to your favorite K-Pop idol singing any song of your choice with AI-generated covers. Those can be made by anyone, tutorials are even being shared on many social media, and it uses AI technology to match an idol's voice on an existing melody. While this is harmless and is great entertainment for fans, other AI content could become a problem if used with bad intentions. It is the case of the K-Pop idol AI filter that can be found on TikTok. That filter uses AI technology to turn your face into an idol's face. Many filters of this genre had been done before, but none looked realistic. The new version of the filter, helped by AI, matched your natural facial features with the idol's to make it look super realistic. With that, people can film any type of content, looking like their favorite idols. It is a very nice filter when it comes to funny content or K-Pop-related content such as dance cover, vocal cover or even reproducing idol's make-up, but it could easily become an issue if the wrong type of videos were filmed using this filter. For now, the filter is very obvious when turned on as it shows a big square above the user's face mentioning the idol's face that is being reproduced. But if this part of the filter were to disappear, it would be harder to know if a filter is on or not. The development of AI in the K-Pop industry can be very beneficial to some extent, but it must not go over the line to avoid urgent issues in the future.

 

Overall, the merging of new technologies such as AI with the K-Pop industry proved to be beneficial in many aspects and could constitute a big part of the future of K-Pop. However, it is not flawless and needs to be supervised properly to not turn into a threat to K-Pop idols. And no matter how much the world is growing and technologies are taking over, fans are still very much attached to the traditions, meaning physical groups and merchandising. So even if the K-Pop world is changing, what we've known so far is not about to disappear, but it could become something new, something greater than all we've had.

Welcome to SUPERKIND's "Day In The Life" Interview! In this special segment by Kpopmap, we take you for a virtual day in/out with your favorite idols! Decorated with exclusive never-seen-before photos that are perfectly wallpaper-worthy to voice notes that will brighten your day, this interview aims to show you the human side behind the glamour of idol life. So join Kpopmap as we follow SUPERKIND for a day in their life - from waking up with a messy bedhead to dressing up for a day out and everything in between.

For the uninitiated, SUPERKIND (Eugene, Geon, SaeJin, Daemon, SiO, Seung, JDV)  is a revolutionary new K-Pop boy group that is changing the face of the industry and redefining the K-Pop experience. With seven members, two of whom (SaeJin and Seung) are virtual, SUPERKIND has created an extraordinary universe, knitting their fans "PLAYERs" into the very fabric of their artistry.

The name "SUPERKIND" is an anagram for S + PRID + NUKE, which refers to how PRID, the human members in the physical world, and NUKE, the virtual members in the story world, will join forces to find the mysterious "S". Driven by immersive lore, excellent production, and profound lyrics that hold deep hidden meaning, SUPERKIND's music is not only novel but unparalleled. What's even more impressive is that PLAYERs have the power to shape this artistic journey, making SUPERKIND a group that is truly intertwined with their fanbase.

So far, SUPERKIND has released two digital singles, "PlaySuperkind : Apply for a Beta Test" with the song 'Watch Out' and "PlaySuperkind : Player Gauge 200" with 'Moody'. You can check out our analysis of 'Moody' below!

Needless to say, no one is doing it like SUPERKIND. However, as much as we love their music and worldview, there's a lot left to know about the members themselves! Are you ready to spend a day in the life of SUPERKIND?

Note: This interview is divided into 3 parts, with each part being uploaded consecutively on June 14, 15 and 16. All the exclusive photos you see in this interview were taken by the members themselves as per some fun prompts or "photo missions" that we gave them.

 

Hello and welcome to Kpopmap, SUPERKIND! Thank you for sharing a day in your life with us and PLAYERs all over the world! Can you please introduce yourselves along with one random TMI for the day?

Hello! I'm the world's first male AI idol, SaeJin! Today, my new clothes were just made, so I tried them on. However, the fit wasn't right, so I requested alterations.
SaeJin
I'm Daemon. Hmm, it seems like there's no TMI... Ah! I washed my laundry in the washing machine, but SiO accidentally put his clothes in without knowing, so I had to wash them again.
Daemon
No wonder there was so much laundry.
SiO
Hello! I'm Eugene, the oldest member of SUPERKIND. Today, I drank Chocobi Choco Milk. It's the one that appears in "Crayon Shin-chan".
Eugene
I'm Geon, in charge of the physical aspect in SUPERKIND. For breakfast, I had a protein shake with whole wheat bread.
Geon
I'm Monster Seung. I startled SaeJin hyung this morning by letting my hair down.
Seung
Ah... It was really scary.
SaeJin
Hello, I'm SiO. Actually, I was supposed to go swimming this morning, but I didn't go. I couldn't sleep well last night and went to bed around 4 AM, so I gave up.
SiO
SiO started swimming last week, but he gave up after a week.
Eugene
Eugene hyung and I watched the movie "Titanic" and thought that if we fall into the sea, we need to learn how to swim to survive. But I failed today.
SiO
I'm JDV from SUPERKIND. Today, I ate my first avocado in my life! It was in the salmon salad I had for lunch. Everyone said avocados are delicious, so I had high expectations, but it didn't taste like anything, so I was a bit disappointed.
JDV

What is the first thing each of you do in the morning and what is the first thing you talk about with each other?

As soon as I wake up, I say "Please let me have a healthy and happy day today, thank you" three times in my mind. Then I drink water and take probiotics on an empty stomach. After that, I go to Hong SiO's bed and say, "Hong SiO, wake up!"
Eugene

I usually wake up around 7 AM., but it takes about three or four times of snoozing before I actually get up. Then, about 5 minutes before I have to leave for work, Eugene hyung wakes me up with an urgent voice. I get up at that time, quickly get dressed, take probiotics, and head to work.
SiO

When I wake up, the first thing I do is turn on my phone. Out of habit, I look at Pinterest photos and browse online instrument stores to look at guitars to wake myself up. I drink a glass of water and then lie down again.
Daemon

First, I uncover the blanket and use Febreze to spray the entire dorm. On my way to the bathroom, I took a picture of SiO sleeping in the studio today. Then I drink protein supplement and head to the gym.
Geon
First, when I wake up, I sit still for about 10 minutes, looking at Discord. Then I take a shower and get dressed in just a minute. This morning, I said, "Seung-ah, I'll go first!" before leaving.
SaeJin
I tend to set multiple alarms and sleep a little longer after turning them off. Finally, I manage to wake up. Then I start my day by listening to music.
Seung

Usually, I wake up between 6:30 and 7 AM. The first thing I do is pray, tidy up the bedding, take probiotics, and then go to the gym.
JDV

You can find the unedited images below (click to see full):

 

Who is the member who wakes up the earliest and who wakes up the latest?

I'm the member who wakes up the earliest. Today, I woke up at 4:55 AM. Usually, I wake up around 6 AM. Is it SiO who has trouble waking up?
Geon
Sometimes, when Geon hyung wakes up to leave, I go to sleep.
SiO
Yes, there are times when we cross paths.
Geon
It's because I don't go to bed early...
SiO
You don't sleep or you can't sleep?
Eugene

Then, how about the member who has the worst sleeping habits?

All the members talk in their sleep a lot. There was a time when Daemon hyung was sleeping and suddenly said, "I will conquer the universe!" Geon hyung also sleep talks a lot. Even if he goes to sleep on his back, the next day he ends up upside down.
SiO
Geon sometimes wakes up, sits up, and then goes back to sleep.
Daemon
I don't really know.
Geon

What does the SUPERKIND breakfast table look like? Who is in charge of the kitchen?

We don't really eat breakfast.
Eugene
Yes, we hardly eat rice or anything in the morning. We usually just drink coffee.
SaeJin
I tend to eat a bit of fruit?
Seung
I also skip breakfast and eat a lot from lunch onwards, so I have a total of four meals.
Geon
I do some fasted cardio exercise and have a little granola around 9 AM.
JDV
I prefer drinking rather than eating. I often drink carbonated drinks or energy drinks.
Daemon

Do you not cook much?

Well, back in the old dorm, we cooked a lot. It was our first experience living together, so we made a promise to cook a lot in the future. At that time, Eugene hyung made Napolitan pasta, and it was really delicious. So I also tried my hand at cooking...
Daemon
It was a disaster.
SiO
After that, I never cooked again.
Daemon
We cooked more than we thought. We grilled meat at night and even made fried rice.
SiO
That's right. SiO's fried rice was delicious. What's wrong with me? Am I a parasite? Oh, I was in charge of dishwashing! I really like cup ramen, and SiO told me that if I put an egg in cup ramen, it becomes a steamed egg.
Daemon
It was an interesting dish.
Eugene
There was a cooking moment with Geon hyung that shocked me. He ate fresh noodles with milk!
SiO
I like the natural taste of food, so I enjoyed that kind of dish. JDV once made a perfect sunny-side-up egg for me, and it was so impressive.
Geon
I made it by instinct, so I'm glad it turned out perfect.
JDV

What is your favorite part about your dorm? Do you have any room decor tips for PLAYERs?

I love my bed. Since there is no personal space in the dorm, I have a lot of affection for it because it's my own space. I also like decorating it and keeping it clean.
JDV
I love having a studio in the dorm. When I suddenly feel like playing the guitar, in the past, I had to walk from the dorm to the studio, which was quite far. But now, I just have to open the door.
Daemon
I enjoy watching Netflix on the big TV. I also like having music on and drinking coffee.
Eugene

For me, it's the kitchen! It's spacious and I like it. I do wish the freezer was bigger, though...
Geon
I like the large table in the kitchen. There is a mood lamp placed next to the table, and it is the same in the morning or during the day. It gives you a sense of security.
SaeJin
I like the chair in front of the laundry room. It's comfortable to sit there and relax while listening to the sound of the washing machine running. Among the two chairs, I particularly like the one on the inside.
SiO

I tend to organize my thoughts while writing, so I like the meeting room with a whiteboard where I can jot down ideas.
Seung

You can find the unedited images below (click to see full):

 

If you could plan your perfect day out together, what would it be like? What kind of activities would you like to fit into your plan?

Let's imagine that we are going on a trip together and divide the roles, shall we?
Daemon
Planning is usually led by SiO and JDV.
Geon
I'm not a planner, so I'll just go with the flow!
SaeJin
I guess my plan is to have no plan?
Seung

I really enjoy going around and having a busy schedule. The more schedules, the better. I'll gather everyone's opinions and organize the itinerary.
SiO

I'll try my best to stay on track, maintain a positive vibe, and follow along.
Daemon

I'll find the accommodation. I think it would be great to have a place with a gym.
Geon

What would be fun for us to do together?
Daemon
Going to a game arcade?
Eugene
We played bowling together before, and it was fun.
Geon
Playing soccer would be fun too!
Daemon
I also enjoy basketball.
Eugene
I want to do water sports by the beach.
SiO
How about boxing?
Geon
We're not going to fight each other, right?
SiO

I want to play table tennis.
JDV
Scuba diving!
Eugene
I also want to go hiking! It would be fun for all of us to go backpacking for 3 nights and 4 days.
SiO

You can find the unedited images below (click to see full):

 

With that, we've come to the end of Part 1!

In Part 2, join SUPERKIND on a workday as they sweat it out in the practice room, pull some pranks, and more! Check it out below!

You can also find Part 3, where the members share voice notes and special messages for PLAYERs, below!

Don't forget to bookmark this article and stay tuned to Kpopmap's Twitter for more updates!