The very long queue at the entrance to the Zénith de Paris is a parade of cosplayers. Dressed in their most beautiful costumes, the fans are impatient an hour and a half before the start of the concert. Almost 2,300 bought a ticket. In the rows, a number of turquoise blue wigs, decorated with two quilts. They imitate the singular hairstyle of the evening star, passing through the capital on the occasion of his European tour in five dates.
Her name ? Hatsune Miku. His particuliarity ? It is not real. And yet, it is an icon of Japanese pop culture, even global. This singer even has some 100,000 songs to her credit, composed by a multitude of musicians or fans.
Hatsune Miku is an avatar created by the Yamaha brand to represent its text-to-speech software, Vocaloid. An innovation that allows any user to use a human voice (that of actress Saki Fujita for Hatsune Miku) to synthesize a complete song. We know that the singer is sixteen. Or his character, rather. We also know his measurements: 1m58 for 42 kg.
Quickly, the virtual singer made a name for herself on the Web, then on the music scene. "Elle" has previously collaborated with Lady Gaga and Pharrell Williams. The prestigious Californian Coachella festival announced its arrival in April.
Raunchy fans
Hatsune Miku can count on a solid community of fans around the world. Including Julien, 24, Parisian. With a group of friends, he has been crane feet since noon in front of the Zenith. They each took a VIP package to experience the concert intensely, which they have been waiting for a long time. Privileged access to… 165 euros!
"Inevitably, it stings a little. But when you love, you don't count. We wanted to make the most of being close to the stage. It's nothing compared to everything I spend on derivatives. This premium ticket entitles you to exclusive goodies. "I started buying figurines and now I can't stop! Confesses Julien.
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VIDEO. At a concert by Hatsune Miku in Japan.
In the hall, everything is torn off: t-shirts with the effigy of the star (45 euros) and glowsticks (35 euros each), these light sticks very popular in Japan, are the most requested. The excitement rises a few minutes before the start of the show. Some spectators swallowed kilometers so as not to miss the event. Kelly, 27, and her partner Ken, 28, came from Yverdon, Switzerland. The couple had already attended the first Parisian date in 2018. “We took our entries on the Internet as soon as the ticket office opened. What we like is this virtual aspect. It changes traditional concerts. The songs are varied and the visual effects are nice. "
A hologram welcomed like a rockstar
For Stéphane, 54, the wait is much less. This rock lover accompanies his 14 year old daughter. "Alone, I would never have come," he slips. But he understands the craze around the Japanese superstar. "Modernity wants that. I think we are witnessing a shift in musical culture. The quinquas also experienced it with Anglo-Saxon music. When we listened to this, our parents did not understand. "
Twenty hours. Hatsune Miku enters the scene, or rather on the big glass screen, in the form of a 2D projection. The pit is full. The sparse bleachers. Cries of joy make the room roar. The Japanese singer is welcomed as a rockstar. She dances, puts on a show. We left for almost an hour and a half of colorful spectacle. The avatar is surrounded by very real musicians: a drummer, a bass player, a guitarist and a keyboard player. The play of lights is dazzling. The humanoid a little less. The visual rendering is comparable to a large-scale video game. Glowsticks brandished by the crowd are like a cloud of fireflies. This demonstrative fervor is captivating.
Little rab
Miku is quickly joined by equally virtual guests. At the start of each track, the fans laugh. "Miku! Miku! ". And they ask for more. Until the final reminder. The performance will be extended by a few minutes, but not more. “This is the drawback of recorded concerts, regrets Élise, 27, from Arcachon. Unlike rock concerts, the artist cannot return to the stage several times. But it's still a very nice experience! By his side, his friend Donatien, 33, agrees. “Certainly, the fact that she is a virtual singer is a bit disconcerting. But it is a technical feat that requires a lot of work. "
If she spoke a few times in French during the concert, Hatsune Miku leaves the Zenith stage without a word of thanks. Only a “Merci Paris” is displayed on the screen. Would the avatar have taken the big head?