10 Superstars that have performed in the metaverse

Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Ozzy Osbourne, and more have joined the metaverse with exclusive performances.

by Janelle Borg from AmplifyYou

It is safe to say that metaverse performances open up a new portal for artists to showcase their musical wares. With the MTV VMAs and EMAs recognizing metaverse performances and the 64th Grammy Awards hosting GRAMMY Week on Roblox, hosting a metaverse performance has become a case of “when” not “if” for the world’s leading artists. Here are 10 superstars who have already taken the plunge with their successful metaverse performances.

BTS

The South Korean boy band BTS took their hit singles “Permission to Dance” and “Butter” into the digital world last year. The superstar group performed a surprise concert as part of YouTube’s ESCAPE2021. Instead of showing up in their human forms, however, the BTS members transformed into Minecraft avatars and performed their singles in Minecraft.

Blackpink

The recent winners of the MTV EMAs and VMAs “Best Metaverse Performance” categories Blackpink worked with PUBG Mobile to create their award-winning metaverse concert. The metaverse performance ran over two weeks in July this year and was watched by 15.7 million viewers. In addition to “The Virtual,” Blackpink also released a metaverse music video for their single “Ready For Love” in collaboration with PUBG Mobile.

Travis Scott

Travis Scott’s Fortnite metaverse performance was record-breaking in the sense that it showcased the power of metaverse concerts. The nine-minute virtual concerts reportedly grossed $20 million, exceeding all expectations. This is a phenomenal figure compared to Scott’s four-month Astroworld concert, which grossed $53.5 million over 56 dates. According to Travis Scott: “It was an opportunity to go to the max, to create a world that permits won’t let you do, fire marshals won’t let you do, building codes won’t let you do.”

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande also collaborated with Fortnite for her first metaverse performance. The multi-day metaverse performance ran five times over three days and racked up millions of viewers. Like Scott’s show, Grande’s was pre-recorded and streamed in simulive format. This means that players must log in at a certain time to watch the show, but the vocals and performance are pre-recorded. In addition to the performance, the show tied in Ariana Grande-themed virtual merchandise as well as post-tour Fortnite quests.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber held his first metaverse performance in Wave last year to promote his album “Justice.” Wave’s technology enabled fans to engage with Bieber during his performance and also appear live on stage alongside the international superstar and influence his performance. Unlike other metaverse performances, Justin Bieber controlled the avatar live by wearing a motion-capture suit.

Marshmello

Marshmello’s 2019 metaverse performance is considered one of the first virtual concerts to popularise the medium. Ten million concurrent users attended Marshmello’s Fortnite concert which gave way to Fortnite’s popularity in hosting metaverse performances. With the Marshmello avatar and a healthy dose of (virtual) pyro and raving, Marshmello’s metaverse performance made history as the first concert in Fortnite.

Meghan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion’s “Enter Thee Hottieverse” was an innovative ten-day music tour powered by virtual reality. While the tour took place in theatres around the US, each participant had to wear VR-enabled headsets to experience the metaverse performance. “Enter Thee Hottieverse” featured a multi-song set that transitioned through different environments. By connecting the real and the virtual, Megan Thee Stallion’s Enter Thee Hottieverse offered a viable alternative to in-game metaverse performances.

Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots entered the metaverse via their Roblox performance. The experience involved fans in an innovative way, as it included a dynamic setlist. Roblox players could control the order of the songs in the setlist via an instantaneous voting system. In addition to the performance, Roblox players could access interactive features, emotes, as well as over 30 Twenty One Pilots-exclusive virtual merchandise.

Charli XCX

British pop star Charli XCX hosted her own metaverse performance on Roblox in collaboration with tech giant Samsung. The concert was the culmination of a five-week virtual experience on Roblox comprising mini-games. By completing tasks, players could get the chance to be invited to join Charli XCX on the virtual stage. To hype up the metaverse performance, Charli XCX fans could access new content in the lead-up to the concert, including new Charli XCX songs and virtual clothing inspired by the pop star.

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne stage-dived into the metaverse via his own metaverse festival “Ozzfest.” Organised as part of Decentraland’s Metaverse Music Festival, Ozzfest featured metaverse performances by Megadeth, The Raven Age, Motörhead and the Prince of Darkness himself. Undoubtedly, Ozzfest showed that metaverse performances span all genres and are not limited to a particular music genre.

Janelle Borg knows a thing or two about the music industry. Having been involved in the industry since the age of 13, she’s now involved in a variety of music-related projects and is always keen to share industry tips ‘n’ tricks with fellow musicians.