K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment has partnered with South Korean music technology startup Verses Inc. to develop an artificial intelligence-powered rap generation platform.
The collaboration centers on Verses‘ Rappie application, which generates rap lyrics, vocals and accompanying videos using AI. The beta platform was launched in June.
Rappie processes text input to generate lyrics, vocal performances and visual content. Users can choose from virtual stages to match the vibe of the rap song and AI-powered avatars will perform the generated music with syncing facial expressions and body movements.
The platform includes real-time editing features, allowing users to modify elements within the virtual stage.
The technology builds on Verses’ previous work with SM Entertainment‘s girl group aespa in developing metaverse-powered music experiences. That project, which follows the launch of aespa world on Naver Z’s metaverse platform ZEPETO, gained recognition from Google and Nvidia, said Verses.
The partnership with SM Entertainment will produce official song releases featuring composers and an immersive extended reality (XR) concert. SM is home to K-pop acts like aespa, RIIZE, NCT 127 and NCT DREAM.
For SM, the partnership with Verses comes amid its continued investment in tech-driven content creation. The company has previously experimented with virtual concerts and digital avatars for its artists. Last year, SM partnered with South Korean mobile network operator LG Uplus to develop AI-powered content for its first virtual artist, Naevis.
Naevis first appeared in aespa’s video My, Karina in 2021 as part of their fictional sci-fi inspired universe. In aespa’s lore, Naevis is a force that helps the members navigate between the real world and the digital dimension known as KWANGYA.
In 2022, SM and its metaverse content production house Studio KWANGYA formed a joint venture with Los Angeles-based virtual reality concert platform AmazeVR to produce immersive virtual reality (VR) concerts for the metaverse.
Meanwhile, in July, A2O Entertainment, the record label founded by SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man, disclosed plans to launch an AI-powered chatbot in August that enables conversations between fans and A20 artists.
In the second quarter of 2025, SM reported a 19.3% YoY jump in consolidated revenue to 302.9 billion South Korean won (approx. USD $218 million), driven by surging album sales and strong merchandise performance.
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