Virtual Male Idol Under Fire Over Past Mixtape

In a unique controversy, a member of the virtual idol boy group PLAVE faced backlash over his past mixtape.

PLAVE, much like the popular girl group MAVE, is a virtual K-Pop group consisting of real singers who are represented by virtual avatars in music videos and even “live” performances. A few months ago, fans discovered that Eunho, the main rapper of the group, was a real idol and an underground rapper with several mixtapes under his name.

One of the songs on a mixtape by Eunho, titled “B*tch,” came under scrutiny for its misogynistic lyrics. In the song, he describes a conventionally attractive woman and proceeds to call her a “b*tch,” asking her to pay for her own meals and degrading her with other remarks. In fact, several of his songs on different mixtapes frequently use the word “b*tch” to refer to women, and in one song, Eunho included lyrics depicting a woman terrorized by her stalker.

After the lyrics went viral online, drawing backlash from netizens, the real-life singer behind Eunho apologized. He explained that the lyrics were fictional and a result of his immaturity at a younger age.

While netizens didn’t seem convinced of this apology, the group’s management, VLAST, responded with a warning against spreading misinformation about any of the members of the virtual group. Meanwhile, the quintet is preparing to release their 2nd mini album, ASTERUM: 134-1, on February 26.