K-Pop Giant HYBE Launches AI Girl Group

K-pop mega-label HYBE has launched a new AI-powered artist, SYNDI8. This time, the innovative venture features a girl group.

The K-pop powerhouse, known for BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, NewJeans, and SEVENTEEN, unveiled SYNDI8 (pronounced “Syndi-eight”) in late June after weeks of teasers on social media. The group comprises four members—Canary, Nest, Goyo, and Raven—originating from the fictional realm of Nansy Land, utilizing “voice magic” with “unique magic tools.”

SYNDI8 was created by AI voice tech company Supertone, which HYBE acquired for ₩45 billion (approximately $32 million) in 2022. HYBE previously launched its first AI-powered artist, MIDNATT, last year, a virtual alter ego of Korean singer Lee Hyun, using Supertone’s AI and multilingual pronunciation correction technology. For SYNDI8, all planning, production, and album release were managed by Supertone, with HYBE not involved in the project development.

SYNDI8 uses AI voice synthesis to create artificial speech that mimics human voices. Supertone’s NANSY (neural analysis and synthesis) model “has the special ability to divide and re-assemble voice components,” Supertone president Kyogu Lee told Music Business Worldwide.

SYNDI8’s origin story is detailed on the band’s website, describing Canary, Nest, Goyo, and Raven. “Nest is the daughter of a scientist from the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) tribe. Canary is the daughter of a chieftain from the Canary (Serinus canaria) tribe. Raven is a hunter from the Common Raven (Corvus corax) tribe. However, Goyo is the only human in Nansy Land.”

The group’s debut release, MVP, launched on June 27 and features three singles: “My Fantasy,” “ATOTA,” and “True Color.” An accompanying YouTube clip titled “Magic Voice Prism: The Journey Begins” credits Kayle of Supertone as executive producer, with Han and Deja as A&R and voice directors, and Chaiyeon Cho and Haeon as tech directors. The video currently has 53K views, modest by K-pop standards.