Virtual K-Pop Idol Group PLAVE Debuts in Japan with Their First Japanese Single “Kakurenbo (Hide and Seek)”

Photo: VLAST

After making history as the first virtual idol group to enter both Billboard’s Global 200 and Global Excluding US charts in February 2025, PLAVE has officially debuted in Japan with their first single album,「かくれんぼ」 (English title: Kakurenbo (Hide and Seek)) which became available on streaming platforms at 12 a.m. JST and the music video released at 7 p.m. JST on June 16, with the physical version available starting July 9. PLAVE’s first Japanese album represents the group’s journey in connecting emotions with stories through music, despite the challenges, such as different languages or moving across time and space.

“We’re excited to build great memories with Japanese PLLIs through our debut in Japan. We’re feeling a bit nervous, but we're really looking forward to meeting you all. Please look forward to PLAVE’s growth in the future, and we hope you enjoy our new single.” - PLAVE

This album consists of three tracks: the title track, “Kakurenbo (Hide and Seek),” and two previously released tracks (“RIZZ” and “Chroma Drift”) from their third mini-album, Caligo Pt. 1, that have been rewritten and adapted into Japanese. The title track, “Kakurenbo (Hide and Seek),” blends PLAVE’s signature band sound with a uniquely Japanese musical flair and uses the metaphor of hide-and-seek to express the emotional distance between past and present, evoking youthful nostalgia and longing for all listeners. True to their identity as self-producing idols, the members YEJUN, NOAH, and EUNHO contributed to the composition of the title track, while BAMBY and HAMIN directed the choreography. To add more depth to the song’s lyrics, the group collaborated with a top Japanese producer UTA—known for his work with BTS, TVXQ!, ARASHI, and King & Prince—and JUN, who has penned lyrics for artists such as BTS and Snow Man. The second track, “RIZZ - Japanese Ver.,” delivers a flirty hip-hop rhythm laced with playful autotune, expressing a romantic attraction through dessert-inspired metaphors. Then the album closes with “Chroma Drift - Japanese Ver.,” an easy-listening city pop track that offers a retro-inspired vibe with emotional sax and synth layers, inspired by PLAVE’s lore.

PLAVE’s Japanese debut has been highly anticipated because it marks their first album release after the group has set numerous achievements, including recording more than a billion streams cumulatively on South Korea’s streaming platform Melon since their debut and being nominated for Music Awards Japan’s “Best Song Asia” category with “WAY 4 LUV,” setting another record as the only virtual group to be nominated for one of six main categories at the awards. The group has also recently announced that they’ll embark on an Asia tour titled 2025 PLAVE Asia Tour [DASH: Quantum Leap] in six cities, including Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Tokyo, from August 2025. When the pre-sale ticket link for fan club members opened on June 10 for their Seoul concert, all three dates were instantly sold out, with more than 30,000 people in the queue. Through this tour, PLAVE wrote a new history as the first virtual idol group to perform at the KSPO DOME in Seoul, which can accommodate about 15,000 people in the audience. All of their accomplishments have only continued to prove that PLAVE are exceptional musicians and artists, besides their groundbreaking work as a virtual idol group. Their Japanese debut is just another step closer for PLAVE to connect further with their fans from around the world through their music, performances, and unique storytelling.