Ann – the first “virtual” singer in Vietnam – recently launched her debut MV titled “How to Say I Love You” on the evening of March 14.
Ann is portrayed as an 18-year-old singer, and her team has indicated that she will be able to perform live, attend events, and star in advertising TV commercials thanks to technology developed by the studio.
Ann – How to Say I Love You
Right after the debut of the virtual singer Ann, netizens began discussing and sharing mixed opinions about this first virtual singer in the Vietnamese music scene. Many praised the team’s effort and ambition to introduce a fresh “virtual” idol to the Vietnamese music market.
However, there were also many criticisms, stating that the imagery of this virtual idol was not impressive, the lip-syncing was not accurate, and the graphics felt outdated. Notably, many were curious about the question: Where does Ann’s singing voice actually come from? Is it purely from technology, or is there a real voice “dubbing” Ann?
The beauty of the virtual singer Ann.
Some mixed opinions from netizens:
– Cute, not inferior to Korean virtual idols, but the features are still too stiff, the lip-syncing is off, and the movements are not smooth. It reminds me of Final Fantasy from Japan almost 20 years ago. But still, this is a development and a significant effort, supporting the team’s progressive spirit.
– Since it’s virtual, invest a bit more in the visuals; releasing one MV a year would be acceptable. Watching it feels inferior to some 3D animations from China.
– Too much like Japanese singers. No creativity. Disappointed!
– The expressions and movements are too stiff, only the music is good. The expressions and movements are even worse than animations from decades ago.
– But in the end, whose voice is this?
– Still don’t understand where this singer’s voice comes from, is it machine-generated?
Many are also curious about Ann’s singing voice.
Regarding the essence of Ann’s singing voice, her “creator” – BOBO Đặng – shared at the press conference on March 14: “For Ann’s singing voice, we have to go through many processes different from a real singer. We need to use various digital technologies to recreate her vocal color, combined with some recording techniques to select the best vocal tone for the genre we desire.
A.I is one of the tools we use to create this vocal color, but it is not everything. In addition, to enhance the emotional aspect, we also incorporate many natural human sounds, such as breathing or inhaling, to add realism. In future products, we hope to further refine Ann’s singing voice.
Ann – the first virtual singer in Vietnam