While a lot of K-pop fans were against idols using AI, THIS 4th-gen girl group has been drawing attention for selling AI-composed albums through NFT.
Earlier on July 5, Gala Music announced the comeback of its first-ever K-pop girl group Ferry Blue with a new AI-composed single album, "Dancing in the Symphony."
For those who aren't familiar with Ferry Blue, it is a six-member girl group under D Ocean Music launched in 2021 with its debut single, "Call My Name."
Originally a septet, former member Yeji left the team without any official statement prior to the release of its second digital single, "Let's Go Buddy" in 2022. Since then, the team continued without her.
Amid the influx of popular girl groups, what made Ferry Blue stand out was due to its concept, which is being a self-managed team.
This means that although they are affiliated with other companies, they run without a main agency and the members are the ones who are responsible for the A&R, choreography design, music video planning, and social media management.
They then reached their breakthrough 2 years after their debut when Ferry Blue unveiled their fifth digital single, "Breaking the Rules" in September 2023. This digital album was released by Gala Music, a subsidiary of blockchain entertainment company Gala.
It is a blockchain music platform that not only supports music streaming, but also allows users to purchase tracks, connect to nodes, and share them with artists to earn rewards and grow. In addition to Gala Music, Gala also operates various platforms such as the blockchain game platform "Gala Games" and the movie platform, "Gala Film."
"Breaking the Rules" was composed by AI, and upon its release, the 100 albums sold out in less than 4 seconds, purchased through NFT (non-fungible token) worth $110. With NFT, the buyer will own a lifetime license of the song and will be given a percentage of its future earnings.
Following its success, Ferry Blue once again dropped its new digital album, "Dancing in the Symphony," also created with AI.
The song starts with a comfortable guitar melody like a summer drive, and the faint yet cool bass performance stands out. It also depicts emotional melodies and lyrics that comfort a tiring and hard day like a refreshing breeze blowing in during the hot weather.
This time, the price of the NFT album was set at $155.
Meanwhile, in a past interview, they already addressed concerns regarding the use of AI and clarified that rather than seeing it as a replacement for human, they think of it as a useful tool for their music journey.
"AI can help us generate new and innovative ideas that we may not have thought of on our own, and create complex and intricate arrangements that would be difficult or time-consuming to create without it.
...We believe that AI can be a powerful tool for musicians, but we also believe that it is important to use it in a way that complements human creativity."
READ MORE: From ISEGYE IDOL to PLAVE: Rise of Virtual Groups in K-pop Scene — Why Are They So Popular?
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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz
