New K-pop girl group Aespa sets 100 million-view record
[PhilNote: I met Teddy Zee on LunchClub!]
...Aespa's concept is part of SM Entertainment's grandiose project of "SM Culture Universe." Various groups each have their own storylines that ultimately weave into each other, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. ...
"This is the next wave in storytelling, a true reflection of our ever-changing times that bridges culture with technology," Teddy Zee, a Hollywood producer and media and tech consultant based in Los Angeles, told ABC News. "It brilliantly mixes music with live action, anime, video games, virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and social media into the ultimate entertainment experience designed for a new generation of fans and consumers. It is truly next level."
While the four members of Aespa exist in the real world, their avatars -- ae-Karina, ae-Winter, ae-Giselle and ae-Ningning -- exist in a virtual world called the "flat." According to Aespa's official teaser video the "ae" stands for "avatar experience," based on data uploaded by humans on the internet. ...
Aespa's members can interact with their own "ae" through text messages, phone calls and can even spend a limited amount of time together through a portal that connects both worlds: real-life and virtual. ...
SMCU fans are known to typically watch these official music videos and teasers in repeated patterns then share their own understanding of an often complex concept on social media like guessing what will happen next, who the villain is and what roles the Aespa members will play in upcoming episodes. ...
See the full story here: https://abcnews.go.com/International/pop-girl-group-aespa-sets-100-million-view/story?id=78375889
