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Virtual pop star Hatsune Miku is touring North America next year

Virtual pop star Hatsune Miku is touring North America next year

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She's played shows here before, but this time she's headlining

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If you missed her last year, you're in luck: Hatsune Miku's coming back to North America. The virtual Japanese pop star announced a 2016 tour on Wednesday afternoon, one that includes eight shows in Canada and the US after a brief run through Japan. "Virtual" has a very particular meaning in Miku's case: she's not really a "she" at all. Miku's a "singing voice synthesizer," a piece of software people can use to create and adjust their own music. She has her own special production team, but she's also a part of millions of fan-created songs. Tons of artists, musicians, and writers have toyed with Miku's sound and likeness; the image above was created by Final Fantasy designer Tetsuya Nomura.

Next year's tour won't be Miku's first time touring North America. She spent a month last year opening for Lady Gaga as part of the singer's Artpop Ball, a stint that included dates across the US and Canada. She's even appeared on American late night television, having performed on The Late Show with David Letterman last year. Miku still isn't a household name in North America and she doesn't show up on the radio or charts, but these tour dates are going to be very popular — if you're thinking about attending, you should probably start planning now.