Jaehwa Bernardo

PLAVE in a promotional photo for their single album 'PLBBUU.' Photo courtesy of VLAST

Article (news)

Virtual idol group PLAVE drops single album in collaboration with Sanrio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762821044039PLBBUU_ConceptPhoto_Group.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">PLAVE in a promotional photo for their single album &#x27;PLBBUU.&#x27; <em>Photo courtesy of VLAST</em></span></span></span></div><p>Virtual K-pop group PLAVE has released a single album featuring visuals from their collaboration with iconic Japanese company Sanrio, marking a significant partnership for the band.</p><p>On Monday, the five-member act, presented as <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2025/5/1/virtual-idol-group-plave-hits-the-right-note-with-k-pop-tech-and-humour-1025"><strong>avatars controlled by human artists</strong></a>, dropped the three-track project titled &quot;PLBBUU,&quot; described as a gift to their fans called PLLI.</p><p>&quot;Thank you always for waiting for us, and we worked very hard to complete this album with the best quality possible, as much as you have waited for it,&quot; PLAVE told fans through a joint statement.</p><p>&quot;Please enjoy and give much love to our new album, &#x27;PLBBUU,&#x27; and we hope it makes you happy,&quot; they added.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8L001YT4k6k?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>The visuals for the release, including teaser photos and the music video for the lead single &quot;BBUU!&quot;, showed the PLAVE members with Sanrio characters My Melody, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, Pompompurin and Pochacco.</p><p>The single &quot;BBUU!&quot; is an easy-listening track that blends R&amp;B rhythms with playful lyrics. Its chorus counts numbers in a childlike manner, creating a catchy hook reminiscent of PLAVE&#x27;s 2023 single &quot;Why?&quot;.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762821098898PLBBUU_Albumcover.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Album art for &#x27;PLBBUU,&#x27; which features chibi versions of the PLAVE members with Sanrio characters. <em>Photo courtesy of VLAST</em></span></span></span></div><p>The album also features a Korean version of PLAVE&#x27;s Japanese pop-rock debut single &quot;Hide and Seek,&quot; along with the pop and R&amp;B track &quot;Bongsoong-a.&quot;</p><p>The closing track, &quot;Bongsoong-a,&quot; draws inspiration from the Korean tradition of coloring fingernails with balsam.</p><p>&quot;PLBBUU&quot; arrives about nine months after PLAVE released their extended play &quot;Caligo Pt. 1,&quot; led by the single &quot;Dash.&quot;</p><p>Composed of Yejun, Noah, Eunho, Bamby and Hamin, PLAVE debuted in 2023 and has since made its mark as one of K-pop&#x27;s leading virtual groups. The act became the first virtual act to enter the Billboard Global 200 chart and has won first place on several South Korean music shows.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/4/18/buzzy-virtual-k-pop-group-plave-draws-filipino-fans-1305"><strong>READ: Buzzy virtual K-pop group PLAVE draws Filipino fans<br/></strong></a></div><p>The group is powered by human artists who lend their talents, using motion-capture technology to bring their avatars to life.</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-zQOhXs-ZjI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><br/></div>

<p>Virtual K-pop group PLAVE has released a single album featuring visuals from their collaboration with iconic Japanese company Sanrio, marking a significant partnership for the band.</p>

Virtual K-pop group PLAVE has released a single album featuring visuals from their collaboration with iconic Japanese company Sanrio, marking a significant partnership for the band.