Virtual Diva Hatsune Miku Out-polls Lady Gaga in Olympic Singer Survey

Hatsune Miku, the popular vocaloid character from Japan, is leading an online vote titled Singers You’d Like to Perform at the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremonies over on TheTopTens.com. The poll is also getting the attention of many here in Japan, including the very popular Jcast website.

Second in the ranking is Korean male idol group Super Junior. Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber are ranked seventh and eighth respectively.

Hatsune Miku’s most devoted fans are most likely to be heavy online users though, which would help to explain the current poll results. But the poll is remarkable nonetheless because the British website is in English, showing that Hatsune Miku is indeed a global online phenomenon. Here are a few of the comments [1] that people are leaving about the virtual superstar:

I think she could really show the world what the technology can do day by day. It would be so interesting of see ^^ She is the world’s virtual diva, and the world has to know it.

Miku is not only a virtual singer, but also a current witness of the development of modern science and technology… Miku’s appearance in London Olympics Opening Ceremonies will be a significant symbol of the world’s Information Ages’ coming and come into people’s lives.

A lot of people don’t like Hatsune Miku because she isn’t a real human, and that can’t be denied. But it’s important to realize that behind each of her songs is a human making the instrumentals, writing the lyrics (most of which are MUCH deeper than today’s music), and doing the artwork. Miku’s voice, like all automated voices will never be as good as a really talented singer, but there is so much more to her than just her voice. This software has brought together people from all over the world in one Vocaloid genre of music composed of many smaller genres.

Hatsune Miku was created by Crypton Future Media located in Sapporo, Japan. Its sound collaboration desktop music software using Vocaloid2(developed by YAMAHA), allows users to compose melodies and lyrics to create vocals and chorus for the character Hatsune Miku. The way that she brings together people online is certainly an example of the same global spirit that the Olympics intends to share.