Universal Music Group Forms A Band, The Members Are NFT Bored Ape And Will Hold A Concert On Metaverse

JAKARTA – Universal Music Group took advantage of the popularity of the non-exchangeable token, NFT, by acquiring one of the cartoon monkeys that has taken over the world of digital collections. This is done to lead a completely virtual band.

On Friday, March 18, Universal label 10:22PM said it paid 360.817 (IDR 5.7 billion) to buy Bored Ape #5537 – an NFT creation of a female character now known as Manager Noët All, to lead the group, which was founded in November. then, named Kingship.

Kingship, which exists only in digital form, will have its own website and presence on the Discord messaging platform. Eventually, the group will also produce new music and give virtual performances in the metaverse, a term commonly used to describe the place where the physical and digital worlds meet. Like Manager Noët All, all of the band members are NFT - the three Bored Apes and the Mutant Apes, on loan from collector Jim McNelis.

"To be part of the culture, I think that would be a great thing," McNelis said, as quoted by Reuters.

The idea of creating a virtual band of digital characters is not new. Gorillaz, a virtual band formed in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and comic artist Jamie Hewlett, released seven albums on Warner Music Group's Parlophone label. Even one of Japan's pop stars, Hatsune Miku, is a hologram.

For Kingship, the Universal 10:22PM label is looking for one of the most famous NFT collections on the blockchain, the Bored Ape Yacht Club, which is made up of 10,000 anthropomorphic apes, each with a different outfit, fur, and expression.

The Bored Apes have become a status symbol for celebrities, with investors including "The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon, pop star Justin Bieber, NBA superstar Steph Curry and billionaire investor Mark Cuban.

For Universal Music, Kingship provides an opportunity to learn how to create characters and stories that excite joy in the metaverse.

“It's about understanding the ethos of space,” says 22:22 founder Celine Joshua, whose label serves as a laboratory for experimenting with new forms of entertainment.