The Blackpink of Thailand? Meet 4Eve, the T-pop girl group who just gave a Metaverse concert in The Sandbox – and whose members Jorin and Punch modelled for Dior, Balenciaga and Tom Ford Beauty

If it feels as though you’re hearing about Thai pop culture and music more often lately, that’s not an illusion. The Thai film and TV industry has long carved out a unique niche with its horror – but today it’s becoming even more influential with its “boys’ love” titles. The popularity of shows such as F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers starring Vachirawit “Bright” Chivaaree and films like Netflix’s Hunger have further contributed to the rise of Thai pop culture beyond its borders.

It also helps that Lisa, one-fourth of the hit South Korean girl group Blackpink, hails from Thailand. Her success has shone a spotlight on the Thai music scene and given rise to a number of groups that are heavily influenced by K-pop. These days, it’s not uncommon for Thai stars to have millions of social media followers.

4Eve debuted in 2020, after the seven members beat 1,000 others in the show Girl Group Star to debut as part of the band. Photo: @4eve_official/Instagram

Among the music acts gaining increasing popularity at home and across Asia is 4Eve, a seven-member female group that debuted in 2020. The members competed against 1,000 contestants from Laos and Thailand on the reality competition show Girl Group Star for a spot in the band.

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The group’s members are Hannah Rosenbloom (Hannah), Jorin Khumpiraphan (Jorin), Tipanan Nilsiam (Punch), Atitaya Tribudarak (Mind), Benyapa Unjit (Taaom), Nattaya Buttura (Fai) and Korranid Laosubinprasoet (Aheye). They released their debut album Tales of 4Eve: The First Album just months after the show aired in 2020.

Jorin, a breakout star, has taken part in the Thai version of The Masked Singer. Photo: @jorinja/Instagram

With more than 300,000 followers on Instagram and pushing a million subscribers and 400 million views on YouTube at the time of writing, the group is slowly accumulating an international following with its catchy Thai tunes that break language barriers.

4Eve’s Punch has appeared in social media campaigns for beauty and skincare brands. Photo: @ppunnch/Instagram

Closer to home, the group and many other Thai acts prefer to interact with fans through a Thai pop platform. The app allows fans to share news and photos of their favourite idols, and stars can speak directly with their fans.

Like many Thai stars, 4Eve uses a T-pop platform to interact with fans. Photo: @4eve_official/Instagram

On November 22, 4Eve took fan engagement to the next level with an event held jointly with The Sandbox, an online gaming platform. 4Eve hosted a virtual concert for fans in the Metaverse. The group performed at the SCB 10X headquarters in Bangkok, powered by the SCBX Group.

4Eve played a virtual show via The Sandbox Metaverse platform, taking fan engagement to new heights. Photo: @4eve_official/Instagram

During the six-day event, fans went on a virtual scavenger hunt to find clothing for their avatars in the Metaverse. The girls danced and sang their top hits alongside their avatars for a more interactive approach to live performance.

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Laotian-American Hannah, one of the breakout stars of 4Eve, is also an actress. Photo: @hannah_kmz/Instagram

As the group gains traction in the music industry, several members are also venturing into solo projects. Laotian-American Hannah is the breakout star of the group. A runner-up in the Miss Teen Laos competition, she recently attended the Shanghai International Film Festival as a nominee for best new actress for her role in Laotian horror film The Signal. She’s since taken on more acting roles, appearing in the 2023 Thai drama series A Match by Maid.

Jorin took part in the Thai rendition of the singing competition series The Masked Singer, and has landed social media campaigns with brands like Dior and Jimmy Choo.

Punch is a model and has appeared in social media campaigns for Tom Ford Beauty and skincare brand Nivea. She is often spotted in fashion-forward looks from brands such as Balenciaga.