PLAYERS Assemble: SUPERKIND Meld the Metaverse with Reality

Boy group SUPERKIND bring forward the fusion of virtual idols to the realm of K-pop with their latest mini album, Profiles of the Future (Λ) : 70%. SUPERKIND consist of seven members: five human members — DAEMON, EUGENE, GEON, SiO, and JDV (the PRID unit) — and two virtual ones: SEUNG and SAEJIN (the NUKE unit). Both PRID and NUKE blend in a symphony that transcends boundaries, melding the metaverse with reality.

During a roundtable interview, SUPERKIND offered insights into their innovative concept. They introduced the term “A-idol,” which involves combining AI and human members. With this concept, their mission is to normalize the integration of AI in the realm of K-pop.

2Dx3D

In their title track “Beam Me Up (2Dx3D),” SUPERKIND invite listeners to an interstellar journey. The NUKE duo, portraying space police, descend upon Earth with a mission to catch the PRID members, who play the criminals in this cosmic clash. The track combines Japanese, Korean, and English to create a linguistic fusion inspired by the diverse tapestry of their audience. Their efforts to include different languages goes hand in hand with their SUPERKIND GO project. Fans (known as PLAYERS) are invited to actively engage through platforms like TikTok by creating videos and using specific hashtags. As a reward, SUPERKIND will visit countries with the highest engagement during the project.

PRID and NUKE work together for this track, which sees a combination of both acoustic and digital elements. Their collaborative appearance adds a layer of complexity to the narrative as they unite to deliver a powerful performance in both the video and live events. SUPERKIND’s performances are also able to transcend dimensions, with JDV emphasizing the NUKE unit members’ abilities that go past what they can do as humans. JDV reflected on the joy of performing alongside NUKE. SAEJIN’s attempt at the iconic Spider-Man move, for instance, adds visually captivating elements that elevate the comeback.

Obstacles Beyond Earth

From capturing scenes inside a hot trash can to navigating the collaboration with the virtual members, SUPERKIND confront challenges in merging the physical and digital realms during performances. These hurdles, however, are not obstacles but rather opportunities for the group’s growth and innovation in their concept.

SUPERKIND acknowledge these challenges and confront the task of combining NUKE and PRID together. DAEMON highlighted, “I think the hardest part is that we have to combine the two universes to show that we are actually collaborating and working together.” The PRID members are actively addressing this challenge by implementing their own virtual characters soon. With these avatars, they will be able to facilitate their transition into the digital world and communicate with the NUKE members. And as SUPERKIND’s bond extends far beyond the stage, the members anticipate evolving and further establishing their group with each comeback.

Listen to Profiles of the Future (Λ) : 70% now on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube and stay up to date with SUPERKIND on Instagram, X, and TikTok.

Want to see more of our round table interviews? Read our coverage of K-pop boy group EVNNE’s debut here!