On December 23, singer DAZBEE started engaging with her fans directly when she officially opened her global fan community on Weverse. DAZBEE first made a name for herself in 2011 as an utaite by the name Dazkin. For over 10 years, DAZBEE uploaded a steady stream of cover songs. Then, in late 2021, she began to work with with numerous Japanese labels, her first foray into the world of professional music. As she continued to climb in popularity, she held her first concert, “DAZBEE Live In Seoul: sincerely,” at YES24 WANDERLACH HALL last year on September 28.

With the way she’s been dazzling listeners in both Korea and Japan, DAZBEE currently boasts 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube. The cover of the yama song “Nisekao” that she just posted on February 7 already has over 310,000 views. Her most-viewed video is her 2017 cover of the song “Forgotten Words” off the soundtrack for the game “Grimms Notes”, which has been viewed an astounding 73 million times. A year after that smash success, she also sang “Hajimari no Mae, Oshimai no Ato,” the main theme for “Grimms Echoes”, the game’s sequel.

Why do so many people love DAZBEE? More than anything else, it’s her dedication. Whenever she uploads a cover video on her YouTube channel, DAZBEE always wraps up by announcing the release date of her next one. And she’s never once failed to deliver by that date. In a “STARNEWS” Q&A for the release of her 2022 track “Bambi,” DAZBEE revealed that the push behind her growth is her consistent effort.

But DAZBEE’s true secret weapon is undoubtedly her dreamy, emotion-filled voice. JUVENILE, who wrote the 2021 track “Ceiling Light Fan” on which DAZBEE also featured, pointed to her “captivating voice” for why he sought to work with her.

And rightfully so. DAZBEE particularly excels at singing deep, poetic songs with emotional weight to them. It’s immediately clear in her covers of “Become the Wind,” the theme song to the Studio Ghibli film “The Cat Returns”, or “Marigold” by Aimyon. Her original songs like “Time After Time” and “Fairy” push her unique talents to their extremes.

But DAZBEE doesn’t limit herself to this kind of song alone. The versatility of her vocal range and tone allow her to seamlessly switch between disco-inspired, city pop songs like “Bambi” and those where she belts out the melody in a high, clear voice, like in “Blue Bird.” Most impressive of all is her keen sense for what songs suit her best and which she’ll excel at singing. Because of this, DAZBEE turns any song she covers into her own. Even when she sings alongside other artists, though, she knows how to harmonize beautifully—all the while holding onto what makes her vocals so distinctly hers.

And above all else, DAZBEE has her roots in the utaite scene, meaning she’s an absolute champ when it comes to Vocaloid songs. Watching her covers of songs from Hatsune Miku, the progenitor of Vocaloid, shows the kind of immense potential DAZBEE has as an utaite. And it’s not just about her voice fitting with the style. DAZBEE has both a deep understanding of and respect for the Vocaloid scene and utaite community where she got her start, and has used this foundation whenever she reinterprets and reinvents songs.

But what exactly is an utaite? To understand what “utaite” really means, we need to go way back in time.

In the beginning, there was Niconico
Back in 2006, a new video-sharing site launched in Japan: Niconico, also known as Nico Nico Duoga. Niconico’s groundbreaking feature was that it allowed viewers to overlay captions directly onto videos rather than just post comments. The text would scroll across from right to left and everything from the speed, placement, size, and color could be customized. The system allowed viewers to feel like they were playing a direct role in the videos, while video creators specifically catered to the system so that the collaboration led to a unique final effect. As a result, Niconico became a vibrant place where creators and viewers could interact with one another.

Though videos on Niconico spanned all genres, the arrival of Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku marked a significant turning point. Hatsune Miku’s massive popularity helped spur Niconico’s growth, eventually cementing the site’s reputation as being ahead of the curve. Vocaloid was developed in 2007 by music software company Crypton Future Media in collaboration with musical instrument producer Yamaha and was groundbreaking at the time of its release, going far beyond simple text-to-speech voice software. The software allowed users to provide melodies and lyrics together to create vocal tracks, giving all those aspiring songwriters who wandered the web, struggling to find someone to sing their songs, an invaluable new tool. These artists purchased Hatsune Miku, added vocals to their songs, and uploaded them to Niconico—creators who came to be called Vocaloid producers, or Vocalo-Ps. Some particularly well-known Vocalo-Ps include Kenshi Yonezu (then known as Hachi), YOASOBI member Ayase, and n-buna from Yorushika.

But early Vocaloid technology had a noticeably robotic sound compared to today, leading many dissatisfied listeners wishing instead there were human versions of these songs. Meanwhile, plenty of amateur singers on Niconico wanted to sing catchy songs without having to worry about copyright issues. The convergence of the two situations gave birth to utattemita, which literally translates to “I tried singing (it).” And so the term “utaite” was born.

Aspiring singers come together
As Niconico was the most active video site of its time for subcultures, Korean utaite naturally centered their activities around it too. DAZBEE herself debuted on Niconico, uploading a song titled “Pandashka”—a mashup of “Panda Hero” and “Matoryoshka,” both tracks by Kenshi Yonezu under his Hachi nickname. Other notable Korean utaite also found fans on Niconico. In July 2023, DAZBEE held a joint concert, THE ECLIPSE, with Raon, another Niconico utaite alum. Many such singers, especially those in Japan—the birthplace of utaite culture—are now signing on with major labels. Artists who are currently blowing up in the Japanese music scene, like Ado, yama, and Reol, built their reputations as utaite singers on Niconico and have since gone mainstream. They never forgot their roots, either, still covering the occasional Vocaloid song. Kenshi Yonezu, for example, has uploaded to his current YouTube channel the songs he once made under his Hachi moniker. Music critic Hwang Sunup has even referred to these artists as being part of the “Vocaloid-native generation.”

From Niconico to YouTube and beyond
Returning to the phenomenon of utaite, those hearing the term for the first time might wonder: How are utaite different from any other singer doing covers? The two are actually entirely distinct. Korea likewise has a lot of love for numerous YouTube cover artists like J.Fla, Tophyun, or Greg. There’s even an ongoing ENA audition show called “UNDERCOVER” dedicated to cover singers, suggesting they’re the first type of singer that comes to mind when Koreans think of cover singers.

But utaite are different from other cover singers. Typically, the term “utaite” refers specifically to singers who post Vocaloid covers, primarily on Niconico. Today, with Niconico’s decline and the rise of YouTube as the dominant video sharing site, some utaite give themselves the label but skip Niconico entirely or operate mostly on YouTube. Korean singer Hebi. is an example of this new generation of utaite.

In this way, “utaite” has evolved beyond its Niconico roots to broadly encompass YouTubers who cover the music Japanese culture otaku love—be it Vocaloid tracks or anime songs. And this opens up new possibilities for utaite as a distinct category of artists. In other words, utaite have come to signify a niche group of creators making good use of subculture aesthetics. We’ve already talked about some of the big players under this umbrella, like Ado and yama. There’s also Reol and her 2020 hit “THE SIXTH SENSE,” which the Recording Industry of Japan certified platinum for streams, and Eve, who racked up 100 million views for his cover version of “Dramaturgy,” a song he had previously put out as a Vocaloid track. Together, they stand at the forefront of a clear shift in cultural trends, much like Niconico once did.

With all this going on, it’s great seeing what DAZBEE’s up to. Korean Millennials and Gen Z listeners, having grown up with otaku culture, including utaite, have become key consumers of music, and this has naturally led to parts of that subculture influencing Korea’s music scene as well. When asked why he had DAZBEE feature on one of his songs, JUVENILE replied, “She’s at once global and yet well-versed in Japanese subcultures and the Vocaloid scene.” Following DAZBEE and other Korean utaite, it’s not hard to envision new artists effortlessly transcending the boundary between what’s considered subcultural and what’s mainstream—not to mention actual international borders. It feels great thinking about the fresh new take DAZBEE will bring to the Korean music industry.