Video: Holographic Pop Star Takes Japan by Storm
Justin Bieber. Kanye West. Katy Perry. What do all U.S. pop stars have in common? They are all human. Over in Japan, though, that's not always the case. Hot on the heels of their robot diva HRP-4C comes the animated chanteuse Hatsune Miku. Originally a mascot for audio software, Hatsune has begun performing holographic concerts for teeming crowds.
As explained in greater length over at the Singularity Hub, Hatsune originated as the face of Yamaha's Vocaloid audio software . Vocaloid lets users create songs in a number of human voices. A spate of user-created videos using Hatsune's voice and likeness helped make her a star in her own right. Having come a long way from her origin as a logo for a computer product, Hatsune tours, commands legions of fans and even has her own merchandise and video game.
Since anyone can write a song for Hatsune to perform, her entire fan base serves as her Lou Pearlman-like svengali. Doubtlessly, that interactivity helped contribute to her possibility.
As the above video displays, a dancing logo singing songs written by her fans has the ability to draw in an audience of thousands. At least in Japan, anyway. Whether or not virtual pop stars will catch on in America is another matter, since to date, no animated pitchman has succeeded in generating the tabloid headlines we demand from our teen idols.
