APOKI is a virtual artist who resembles a rabbit. At first glance, she might remind someone of an animated character from one of their favorite childhood films. With candy-floss pink hair, rosy cheeks, and a slender frame, she is paired with an unmissable naivety, innocence, glee, and amiability.
However, APOKI is a multifaceted virtual artist on the rise and is signed under VV Entertainment.
The brainchild of AFUN INTERACTIVE, a Korean tech venture company, and Sony Music Solutions, she dons many hats, given her status as a singer, dancer, performer, YouTube content creator, and an all-around artist.
She was first introduced online on April 17, 2019, via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However, she made her official music debut as a singer on February 22, 2021, with her first digital single, Get it Out. She made her Japanese music debut a year later on March 14, 2022.
But APOKI is more than just a pretty virtual face, she is the face of today’s youth - talented, adventurous, and ambitious with just the right mix of innocence and amiability.
She is also a shining example of AFUN INTERACTIVE and Sony Music Solutions’ initiative to go bigger and beyond the obvious, to create a virtual whirlpool of talent co-existing with the human world, and APOKI is the beautiful creation of that thought and desire.
In an exclusive interview with SK POP’s Anwaya Mane, APOKI dished on her new single West Swing Feat. E-40, being a fan of K-pop super groups ATEEZ and MAMAMOO, and shining everyday as an intergalactic star.
Disclaimer: The interview was edited for clarity and grammar purposes.
APOKI speaks about her dreams as a singer, co-existing with human beings and what kind of legacy she would like to leave
Q) Thank you so much for taking out time to speak with us. Hope you are doing well.
APOKI: Hi, this is my first interview in India! Thank you so much for inviting me.
Q) For our readers’ benefit, tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, interests, MBTI etc.
APOKI: I am APOKI, the virtual K-Pop artist. I officially debuted in 2021 and recently released my 4th digital single – West Swing feat. E-40. I like watching cartoons and playing games, as much as I like singing and dancing. My MBTI is ISFP, which is endowed with an adventurer spirit!
Q) Congratulations on your new song West Swing featuring E-40. Tell us more about the process of making the song and, of course, working with rap legend E-40.
APOKI: We put a lot of effort into maximizing sophistication while retaining the characteristics of the New Jack Swing. The staff and I tried various ways to keep the 90s vibe alive by not only taking care of instruments and microphone settings but even the recording method as well. I wanted to collaborate with an OG rapper who boasts of powerful flows and contacted E-40. As soon as he heard the song, he said he would participate, which greatly contributed to the success of the production.
Q) You have incorporated the distinct 90s sound in West Swing. Do you think K-pop is currently going back to the 90s and early 2000s sound? What prompted you to go through that route?
APOKI: Personally, I wouldn’t say that the “K-Pop sound” is going back to the 90s. I think the retro visual concepts are becoming a fad! Also, it’s not that I applied retro factors for the sake of being trendy, but New Jack Swing has been one of my favorite genres for a long time, and I’ve always wanted to try to reinterpret the 90s sound in my own way.
Q) Your songs Get it Out, Shut Up Kiss Me (feat Lil Cherry), and West Swing are fun and groovy pop tracks. Is this a genre you enjoy dabbling in? What are your favourite musical genres?
APOKI: I am in the process of trying out various genres, which is why all four songs are in different genres. The goal is to create my own genre. I think my favorite one will be K-Pop since it led me to start my career as a singer.
Q) You are a virtual entertainer, content creator, singer, and performer. If I were to ask which role you enjoy the most, what would you choose and why?
APOKI: I like it the best when I am a singer. The moment I feel the greatest confidence and comfort is when I am working on music.
Q) Virtual artists have the advantage of staying youthful and never getting embroiled in scandals. Do you think we will ever reach a place where virtual artists will replace their human counterparts fully or we can all happily co-exist?
APOKI: I'm not quite sure about replacing human counterparts, but I think we're getting closer to the point of coexistence though.
Q) You earned massive praise from two of the biggest K-pop artists - ATEEZ and Mamamoo. What was it like to receive so many compliments from them and your favourite tracks of them?
APOKI: I have been a huge fan of MAMAMOO for a long time, and I have even covered their songs numerous times. That being said, their compliments mean so much to me! My favorite song is HIP which I covered as well and that attracted a lot of attention on YouTube. Also, I love the song WONDERLAND by ATEEZ. I have watched the music video so many times. It was quite fascinating to receive such wonderful comments from the artists that I adore.
Q) You described yourself as “A rabbit drawing a map for future virtual influencers.” What kind of legacy do you wish to leave for future generations?
APOKI: There's not a lot of precedent, so I said it to imply that the direction I am headed will be one of the paths for future generations. This path might be a detour or even a wrong one, but I just want to keep moving forward. I can’t think of any legacy to leave, but I really wish for everyone to follow their path and draw a large map altogether.
Q) Thank you for taking out time to speak with me. Wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Do you have a message for your Indian fans?
APOKI: I really appreciate your support and stay tuned for my future updates! Thank you so much.
More about APOKI
APOKI boasts of 293k subscribers on YouTube and 78.7k followers on Instagram. She debuted with a cover of Kehlani’s Honey when she launched her social media platforms. She is a solo artist with two talented backup dancers, OVA (with green hair) and DOSE (with purple hair), their names seemingly derived from the English word “OVERDOSE.”
The official music video for APOKI’s latest digital single West Swing feat. E-40 has already garnered 9.5 million views on YouTube and is steadily inching towards 10 million views on YouTube. Prior to the release of West Swing, AFUN INTERACTIVE confirmed in an interview that this digital single pays subtle homage to Sony and the incredible music they have put out over the years.