Now You See Me, Now You Don’t: Holograms in the Music Industry, Feat. M.I.A. and Janelle Monae

By Carolyn Heneghan

A coast-to-coast duet using the latest in holographic technology? Surely it must be the 21^st century.

In celebration of the launch of the Audi A3, M.I.A. and Janelle Monae teamed up to bring audiences in both Los Angeles and New York City just that. While M.I.A. performed for a private event in New York City, she was joined at the end of the performance for a high-tech duet with a live-action hologram of Monae, who collaborated with her to sing a verse of M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls.” Vice versa, an M.I.A. hologram joined Monae in Los Angeles with an original addition to her song “Q.U.E.E.N.”

Holographic Projections vs. Holographic Illusions

These holographic projections hark back to one of the most famous projections in recent years, that of Tupac onstage with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre at Coachella in 2012. This time around though, the duet used more advanced 3D projection and video mapping technology. According to a press release from Audi, “The set utilizes 3D projection mapping to add layered depth of field perception with animated graphic content, the result of which will be an electric never-before-seen 3D bicoastal performance.”

Holographic projections in the realm of music have become more common in recent years. Since Tupac’s Coachella “appearance,” Wu Tang Clan also resurrected Ol’ Dirty Bastard as a hologram on the Rock the Bells tour last summer, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony “brought out” Eazy-E. Plus, in 2013, R&B group TLC were rumored to be bringing back Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes as a virtual performer as well, though those rumors have since fizzled.

In addition, holographic projections—more accurately called holographic illusions—had been used even before Tupac, using a method called Pepper’s Ghost illusion, which has actually been around and used in theatre since the middle of the 19^th century. Al Gore used the technology in 2007, Madonna and the Gorillaz in 2006 and Richard Branson in 2005. The Pepper’s Ghost illusion is what brought Tupac’s performance to life in 2012.

What? Not a true hologram? It’s a fact—while widely considered to be a hologram, Tupac’s performance was technically a holographic illusion. The way it works is that on the main stage is usually a piece of glass that the projection is bounced off of while the projector itself is off to the side and behind the glass. But instead of glass, the traditional method, they actually used a proprietary Mylar foil called Musion Eyeliner to deliver “uncompressed media for three stacked 1920 x 1080 images, delivering 54,000 lumens of incredibly clear projected imagery.”

While the technology used for M.I.A. and Monae’s holograms was different, it’s important to make this distinction between holographic projections and holographic illusions when considering future uses of this ground-breaking technology.

What Holograms Mean for the Music Industry

Musical endeavors like those of M.I.A., Monae and resurrected Tupac performances demonstrate just how powerful holograms can be in revolutionizing the capabilities of live performances. Not only can previously recorded presentations, like that of Tupac, be displayed at concerts and festivals, but live holograms can be produced and collaborated on as well, like that of M.I.A. and Janelle Monae.

Imagine what this could do for a live concert or festival. Any one artist could potentially be joined onstage by several musicians, creating an enriched performance for the audience regardless of where those musicians are actually located. Because musicians are often on tour and recording all over the world, the collaborations this could offer are astounding and could bring together artists of all types, including those who may have never previously been able to work together due to distance and time constraints.

If more projections could be created like Tupac, imagine the possibilities of all of the deceased artists that could be resurrected for performances with both their former bands and collaborations that never had a chance to happen. What if you could combine the talents of John Lennon with those of some of the bigger singer-songwriters or rock bands today? Musicians would have the invaluable experience of showing how their music could fit in with those of musicians past, and concert and festival-goers would have the one-of-a-kind chance to experience it live.

As hologram technology progresses, it will be exciting to see what the music industry continues to do with it. M.I.A. and Monae’s live duet was just the beginning in what is likely to be a new trend among some of the bigger, established musicians (as the technology is not financially accessible to most). That could eventually trickle down to the hands of indie musicians the world over, and we could see a resurgence in worldwide collaborations—the next evolution in live performance.

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