Justin Bieber tests the waters with a metaverse concert, is it a new trend or just a fleeting moment during the pandemic?

Author: Nianqing, Chain Catcher

Testing the waters of the metaverse has become a major trend in the global pop culture industry.

On the morning of November 19, Beijing time, Justin Bieber held a metaverse concert in collaboration with the virtual entertainment platform Wave, which was broadcast live for free on Wave's official website and YouTube.

In his 45-minute metaverse debut, Justin Bieber performed several songs including "Hold On," "Ghost," "Peaches," and "Holy."

Before the live broadcast, fans from different time zones began to flood the comments section on Wave's official website with their national flags. Justin Bieber has over 100 million followers on Twitter, and this time he wore motion capture equipment to control his digital avatar in the "metaverse," interacting with audiences from around the world.

Figure 1: Justin Bieber wearing motion capture equipment

The main screen featured a virtual stage that switched scenes according to the songs, and the main visual screen occasionally displayed real-time footage of Justin Bieber backstage, fully equipped.

In addition to sending comments, fans had three other forms of interaction: first, interaction with the scene, where fans could click options on the screen to add elements to the scene; second, sending hearts with their names to Justin Bieber through likes, with fans' names floating as backup dancers in several scenes; third, fans had the opportunity to appear on the stage's big screen using webcams during the performance, interacting with Justin Bieber in real time.

What do fans think

We chatted with several fans of Justin Bieber to see what new experiences they had in the metaverse.

@LSJ: Overall, it was a very novel experience. It was really surprising when Bieber appeared in the bottom right corner of the screen, very much like a Hollywood blockbuster filming scene. The motion capture was quite advanced; it felt like Bieber was about to "evolve to the ultimate level."

But compared to a live concert, it still lacked some flavor. First, the visuals were competing for attention; I personally think a concert should focus on the music itself, rather than overshadowing it. Moreover, the virtual fans in the visuals looked like a mass of black shadows, not very clear, somewhat like zombies. Additionally, perhaps due to the need to wear specific equipment and perform in a specific environment, Justin Bieber couldn't make large movements, so it looked like he was just spinning in place.

Furthermore, the whole event was too quiet; it was a test for the singer's solo performance. Although there was virtual interaction, it lacked sound, making the interaction feel somewhat flat. The success of a concert relies on the synergy between the performer and the audience; the cheers, screams, and sing-alongs from the audience are the singer's stimulant, but this metaverse concert felt more like a non-physical performance by Bieber.

It was my first time watching a virtual concert, so it felt fresh, but because of the above points, it's hard to guarantee that I won't lose interest in the future.

@Xiaoying: If you watch carefully, you'll notice that the scenes change according to the emotions of different songs, which I think is quite nice. There was a part of a song expressing loneliness, and there was a long road with an extending yellow line, which was very artistic. However, I have to complain that, possibly due to the facial capture equipment or modeling issues, Justin Bieber spent most of the time with his eyes closed, only seeing his mouth moving, and his expressions were very stiff. But overall, this kind of concert might save costs, is not limited by space, and allows fans from all over the world to watch together, which is amazing.

@Zilong: Overall, it still differs a lot from a live concert, but the sound was quite clean and comfortable to listen to, though it might have been processed. The entire concert lacked memorable moments and highlights; in comparison, I don't know what technology was used in "Fortnite."

@Yu: The modeling looks a bit ugly, and the concert format doesn't have much novelty; it seems like QQ Dance also has similar features. If I could open a small window of the real Bieber in the bottom right corner, I would prefer to watch him in person.

Figure 2: Justin Bieber performing using real-time motion capture technology

In the early promotional materials, Justin Bieber's metaverse concert was consistently compared to the concert in Epic Games' "Fortnite," but in fact, this event's effect was much inferior to the concerts in "Fortnite."

Justin Bieber's metaverse debut seemed somewhat rushed, and his modeled virtual image was criticized by many netizens. Even compared to other virtual concerts produced by Wave, it lacked script design and innovative interaction, failing to break traditional frameworks or provide more imagination for metaverse concerts.

In contrast, last April, Travis Scott, who had just won the Best Rap Performance at the 26th Grammy Awards, held a concert in the "Fortnite" game world that was much more stunning. The scenes were fantastical, traversing between heaven, earth, and ocean, breaking the limitations of the physical body in the metaverse, allowing for arbitrary sizes, truly realizing "going to the sky and entering the earth, reaching for the stars." Players could also interact through virtual characters in the game. However, Justin Bieber's concert mostly featured long shots, lacking close-ups and facial expressions.

As the data on Wave's official website is currently unavailable, Justin Bieber's live broadcast on YouTube has 35,000 views, which is a mediocre performance considering his influence. According to Epic's statistics, a total of 12.3 million "Fortnite" players watched Travis Scott's virtual concert. Travis Scott also earned $20 million from this concert.

The Future of Wave and Metaverse Concerts

In addition to the concert itself, the Wave platform is also worth paying attention to.

Founded in 2016, Wave initially started as a virtual reality company aimed at providing immersive performances. However, in the first three years, they were in a constant exploration phase and gradually transformed into a streaming company focused on music animation. Coincidentally, just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., Wave completed a $30 million funding round and had already explored several relatively mature cases.

Thus, during the pandemic, when singers and musicians had to cancel live performances and began seeking new ways to perform and earn money, they turned to Wave. Famous singers like The Weekend and Justin Bieber even became investors in the company after collaborating with Wave, as they saw the potential of this industry in the future.

Moreover, this year, the concept of the "metaverse" has gained immense popularity. Wave's promotional language has gradually shifted from virtual concert and virtual event to metaverse LIVE and metaverse concert.

Additionally, Wave's most unique approach is its collaboration with the gaming industry. In September of this year, they produced a metaverse concert for characters in League of Legends. According to the person in charge in an interview with Rolling Stone, Wave is collaborating with Roblox to hold concerts, as Roblox hopes to expand its virtual music events. Wave is also in active discussions with "almost every 3D game platform."

Compared to Epic Games, which has accumulated a large number of gamers, Wave is still a newcomer, but the company has seized the opportunity presented by the pandemic and the metaverse.

In addition to companies specializing in virtual technology transitioning to "metaverse music," traditional music companies, due to their inherent advantages, are also beginning to enter the field rapidly.

The world's largest music record company, Universal Music Group, recently established a virtual band called Kingship, which is based on the bored ape NFT avatars owned by collector Jimmy McNelis. Universal will further develop the virtual images and sounds of the bored apes, then perform, release songs, and hold concerts in the metaverse. Additionally, Universal will also release related NFTs.

Overall, with the advancement of technology and the arrival of the pandemic, we are forced to truly examine our ways and places of work for the first time. The metaverse appears at this critical juncture. Its emergence is precisely to address the current social issues faced by the public.

However, "meta" itself means transcendence. If the current metaverse is merely "moving all offline activities online," then this world remains the same, without transcending reality.

The same goes for metaverse concerts; if they do not provide more imagination for the music itself and the audience, then they may just be a substitute for offline concerts during the pandemic. Once the pandemic subsides, they may very well lose their appeal. Only those that can transcend reality can represent the future trend.