“Done” Music Video SM Entertainment
On Sept. 10, SM Entertainment debuted their first AI artist, Naevis, with a single called “Done.” Alongside the new single, a music video was released featuring many futuristic motifs. It depicted Naevis navigating between a virtual and real world, as well as different versions of the AI artist.
SM is certainly not new to implementing AI in their content. They previously made use of AI to create unique counterparts of their girl group, “Aespa” referred to as “Ae”, during which Naevis was first introduced.
According to SM Entertainment, Naevis plays a part of their “universe,” often referred to as the “SMCU.” Naevis serves as a guide of sorts for Aespa in an ongoing conflict with the SMCU’s villain, “Black Mamba.”
This universe and its story is explained further through Naevis’ official website and several of Aespa’s music videos. The story starts in 1991, where both Naevis and Black Mamba emerge as top AI.
While conducting my research on Naevis, I discovered this single was not the first time she’s been used for music. Last May, Naevis was featured on Aespa’s song, “Welcome to MY World.”
Naevis doesn’t have any significant lines in this song, but it’s clear SM was entertaining the idea of debuting her as an idol. The song itself has an interesting futuristic sound and really leans into the “AI” aesthetics.
When comparing it to Naevis’ song “Done,” Aespa’s influence becomes clear. Her voice sounds like a mix of multiple Aespa members, but with a robotic tone that comes off as slightly uncanny. The futuristic instrumentals of both only add to this feeling.
I do want to commend SM for the visuals featured in this music video, though. Unlike a lot of AI content, there’s a lot of thought put behind it. I can feel the efforts of their artists through the intricate details within the music video and how it relates to the story they’re trying to convey.
My favorite detail was the city where Naevis’ is often depicted on multiple buildings. The artwork is absolutely stunning.
Along with that is the music production. Despite the uncanny feeling of Naevis’ voice, the song wasn’t bad at all. In fact, I enjoyed it more than I anticipated.
SM outsources producers often, and this time they chose the perfect one (Jens Duvsjö/Duvchi). I liked that the song still felt distinctly like a human made it. AI cannot replicate that feeling of authenticity in music, like someone’s style or little quirks. I appreciate that SM didn’t fully lean into the computerized/AI side of things and had a balance of sorts.
At the same time, Naevis shows the potential of AI in music. This can both be a good and bad thing.
As previously mentioned, what I enjoyed about “Done” as there’s still clear human influence. But, will this always be the case?
Naevis’ voice, while robotic, sounds infinitely better than older AI models in the past. Imagine how an AI like Naevis could sound in the next five years.
It’s something to think about. Could AI replace human music artists in the future? How does this affect human jobs? Will it replace human producers and composers?
At the moment, I don’t have a clear prediction on that. I think in the present, something like Naevis is more of a novelty.
I say this mainly because K-Pop is a field built off of human connection. There’s a desire to see these artists in person and connect with them. A lot of K-Pop marketing is reliant on selling an “attainable” or “boyfriend/girlfriend” image.
I don’t believe that we’ll reach a point anytime soon where something like Naevis replaces actual humans, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s possible in the future. AI is sounding more and more eerily human by the minute.
I am looking forward to seeing how Naevis’ debut will impact the industry, though. I firmly believe that she’ll shake up a lot of companies into pursuing AI in their own content. It’s a concept that makes SM stand out from the rest.
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