The day of the virtual pop star…
Audiences at the recent Coachella Festival were stunned when the long-deceased rap artist Tupac Shakur made an appearance on stage in a virtual performance.
The ‘hologram’ version of Tupac was a remarkable technical achievement but also brought popular media attention once again to Japan’s own virtual star Hatsune Miku.
In an article in The Daily Beast the phenomenon of the Vocaloid star is compared to the success of artists in the West, while also pulling in commentary from Miku fans for their opinions. As one UK-based fan put it: “Quite honestly, considering how much singers rely on technology these days, [Miku] doesn’t sound all that different from real artists, except that she sings in Japanese.”
Hastune Miku appeared in concert in Los Angeles last Summer to the delight of Miku fans – and she also topped a poll for most requested performing act for the 2012 London Olympics. With the virtual recreation of artists like Tupac, the age of the Virtual Pop Star might be around the corner.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/18/hatsune-miku-japan-s-hologram-pop-idol.html
