Recently, American singer and songwriter Lauv presented a special gift for his Korean fans.
Lauv | @lauvsongs/Instagram
On November 8, Lauv released a Korean version of his song “Love U Like That” and a visualizer video. In the comments, Korean netizens commented how great Lauv’s Korean pronunciation was.
Comments on Lauv’s visualizer for the Korean version of “Love U Like That” | Lauv/YouTube “His pronunciation is so good. I didn’t expect an overseas singer to sing in Korean like this, so thank you.” “A Korean version!!!🥹 Everything about Lauv is beautiful~🥹 Lauv is so lovable~!! I love how the video captures the emotions from the concert!!! I’m so moved~ Lauv is the best!! I’m happy 🥹” “Wow, amazing!!! His Korean pronunciation is perfect, and the song is so good!!” “I can tell he practiced a lot. His pronunciation is good, and the song’s good. Oh my god!” “Wait, why is your pronunciation so good? I thought it was AI. I can understand everything without even reading the lyrics. Amazing!!” “It’s not a Korean person covering it, but Lauv singing it himself? Wow, amazing…”
However, a statement from Lauv’s agency, Universal Music, revealed that it wasn’t 100% his voice that sang the song—it was artificial intelligence.
Lauv, who held his first solo concert in Korea on August 29, released the Korean version of his song ‘Love U Like That,’ which is a steady seller on the domestic music chart, at 9 a.m. today (November 8). This marks the first case in history where a U.S. pop star has released a non-English language song using artificial intelligence (AI) modeling technology applied to the recording of the voice.
— Universal Music
Your browser does not support video.Lauv shed tears at his concert in Korea on August 29. | @lauvsongs/Instagram
Lauv explained why he decided to make this special project for his Korean fans.
I had a really great time touring this year. I wanted to express special thanks to the Korean fans who made it possible for me to have the largest solo concert of my music career. I decided to release the Korean version of the single to show my gratitude. I am always thankful for having such wonderful fans worldwide. It’s great to be able to introduce a new song to fans using innovative AI technology.
— Lauv
Your browser does not support video.Lauv’s visualizer for the Korean version of “Love U Like That” | Lauv/YouTube
Not only was the song a collaboration between Lauv and AI but also between Lauv and a K-Pop star. For the Korean version of “Love U Like That,” Lauv collaborated with Kevin Woo, a former member of U-KISS.
Kevin Woo | @kevinwoo_official/Instagram
With the lyrics they worked on together to translate from English to Korean, they collaborated with Jordan Young, a Grammy-winning producer and founder of the AI music startup Hook, to use AI voice modeling technology. They applied Lauv’s AI filter to Kevin Woo’s voice for the recording.
Lauv (left) and Kevin Woo (right) | @kevinwoo_official/Instagram
The original “Love U Like That” was released on August 4 and has gained significant popularity among Korean fans. Lauv is loved by many Korean music lovers, and he has been achieving success in Korea with the theme song “Steal the Show” for the Disney-Pixar animation Elemental, which was at the top spot on Melon‘s international comprehensive music chart for 18 consecutive weeks.
Check out the visualizer for the Korean version of “Love U Like That.”
He didn’t literally sing in Korean, but he sang in Korean.
