What Is Happening
The Korean hip-hop duo Deux will release a full album titled “4th Deux” on November 21. According to The Korea Herald, the project will use artificial intelligence to replicate the vocal performances of the late Kim Sungjae. It is the group’s first album in more than thirty years, after the release of “Force Deux,” which the source considers one of the best albums in K-pop history.
“Force Deux” was the last work the two musicians made together before their separation, which occurred about three months after the album’s release. After the breakup, both pursued solo careers. In 1995 and 1997, two albums were released—a live recording and a greatest-hits collection, respectively—as the source reports.
The Unsolved Case and the Decision to Undertake the Project
Kim Sungjae was found dead in a hotel room in Seoul in November 1995, the day after his solo debut. His girlfriend was accused and later acquitted; according to The Korea Herald, the case remains unsolved. It is in this context that the decision to use AI to bring his vocal parts back into the new album fits—an element that makes the project significant not only from a musical standpoint.
Production and Content
The album comprises nine tracks. Lee led production and wrote “The Future,” one of the two main tracks. The other central track, “I Want You,” features another well-known hip-hop duo, Dynamic Duo. In a listening session in Seoul held on Saturday, Lee said the track contains what Deux would have been if they had made a new jack swing piece and taken it one step further.
According to reports, a portion of the proceeds will be allocated to Kim’s family, as Lee wished. The source does not specify the percentage or the method of disbursement. It also remains to be clarified, on a technical and legal level, how the vocal replica was created and with what authorizations—elements that the available material does not examine in depth.
What remains to be verified
The news confirms the release date, the project’s duration and the decision to use AI. However, it does not indicate the reactions of the public or the heirs, nor any objections to the use of a deceased artist’s voice. These aspects will need to be verified with direct sources before broader publication.
