Hatsune Miku

With a name that means "the first sound of the future" in Japanese, Hatsune Miku became one of the most popular synthetic voice programs -- known as vocaloids -- and the first to become a pop star. Created and distributed by Japan's Crypton Future Media company, Hatsune's voice was sampled from actress Saki Fujita and her first release arrived in August 2007. Envisioned by Crypton as an "android diva" from a time in the not-too-distant future "where songs are lost," her distinctive appearance as a petite 16 year-old with long turquoise pigtails was developed by the artist KEI ...