Virtual K-Pop Group PLAVE Releases Second Single Album PLBBUU in Collaboration with Sanrio Characters

Photo: VLAST

PLAVE, a record-breaking K-Pop virtual idol group that made history in multiple music charts, including Billboard’s Global 200 and Global Excluding U.S. charts with their third mini-album, Caligo Pt. 1, released their second single album, PLBBUU. This album already garnered attention with the announcement that this comeback included their collaboration with Sanrio characters such as My Melody and Cinamoroll, with the release of the album teasers. PLBBUU captures the group’s loving energy as this release is meant to be a gift for their fans, PLLI.

“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. Please enjoy and give much love to our new album, PLBBUU, and we hope it makes you happy. Love you, BBUU!” - PLAVE

This album includes the title track “BBUU!” as well as “숨바꼭질 (Hide and Seek),” which was previously released as a digital single, and the final track, “봉숭아 (Bongsoong-a).” All five members of PLAVE participated in the composition and lyric writing for all three tracks in this album, proving themselves as self-producing idols once again.

The title track, “BBUU!” is an easy-listening track that blends R&B rhythm and playful lyrics. The chorus, which repeats counting numbers in a childlike and rhythmic manner, creates an addictive hook, similar to the one from PLAVE’s previous track, “Why?” Its title, “BBUU!,” is an onomatopoeia in Korean (뿌우), that mimics the sound of light kissing or the shape of puckered lips. The word also serves as a key element in both the song’s progression and choreography, representing both visual and auditory expressions. 

The second track, “숨바꼭질 (Hide and Seek),” is the Korean version of PLAVE’s Japanese debut title track of the same name, originally released on September 15. While highlighting the group’s distinctive musical identity through a rich band sound, this track retains the emotional depth of the original song while introducing new and original Korean lyrics that reflect the nuances and sentiment that are unique to the language. 

The album closes with “봉숭아 (Bongsoong-a),” which is “balsam” in English. It is a pop track with an R&B tempo. In South Korea, there is a tradition of coloring fingernails with balsam when it blooms in summer, and it is believed that one’s love will come true if the fingernails stay balsam-colored until the first day of snow. The delicate lyrics and vocals depict the color of balsam on fingertips that blends into a snowy landscape. Rekindling sentimental elements of everyday life at the threshold of early winter, “봉숭아 (Bongsoong-a)” offers a glimpse into PLAVE’s deepened perspective as musicians.