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Late Show with David Letterman and Hatsune Miku

On October 8, 2014, Hatsune Miku made her American television debut performing her song "Sharing the World" on the Late Show with David Letterman .

History

David Letterman is one of America's most revered late-night television hosts. He hosted The Late Show with David Letterman from August 30, 1993, to May 20, 2015, producing 4,261 episodes. The show is notable for its special guest interviews, episode structure, and regular sketches.

Hatsune Miku

Although this was not her first appearance on American television , it was Hatsune Miku's television debut and also the first time she performed on television for American audiences.
To promote her appearance at an upcoming arts festival, Hatsune Miku performed as the closing act on the October 8, 2014 episode of The Late Show with David Letterman. Although the performance lasted 5 minutes, online reactions applauded the effort, style, and organization employed in the performance.
Letterman introduced Miku as a "computer-generated Vocaloid personality from Japan," which drew laughter from some of the audience.
While Miku sang, it was her live band, not Letterman's, that played alongside her, allowing the projection to show viewers the technological advances underway. After singing "Sharing the World" by BIGHEAD feat. Hatsune Miku, the theme song for MIKU EXPO 2014, Letterman appeared on camera and laughed nervously but with a big smile simply stated, "It's like being on Willie Nelson's bus." This is a reference to the famous American singer Willie Nelson. Letterman and Miku continually waved to the crowd as the end credits rolled.
The live studio audience applauded loudly after the performance ended, showing many that while they may not have been fans or even heard of Miku, they still enjoyed the experience.

Public reaction

Several articles were published overnight about the performance. Many criticized the lack of clarity in the lyrics, as the software had not yet perfected the English singing. A well-known news website, Hollywood Reporter, referred to the performance as a "holographic," which is technically incorrect, although most media outlets use the term to make people believe the technology is futuristic. The article was one of the few to mention that Miku was in the United States and on the program to promote her upcoming art exhibition in New York.
Many have compared this performance to Tupac's performance at the Coachella music festival in 2012. This assessment is considered fair, as the technology used for both performances was very similar. Others have joked that if Apple's Siri voice were ever given a virtual body, she would become the next pop star.
Overall, most articles believe the performance is an overall win for both technology and Miku fans.

Fan reaction

Fan reactions were surprisingly divided on the performance. Among the dissenters, many felt that the song was not in Miku's native language, "they ( Crypton Future Media ) could have used a better song," or that one song was not enough and she needed to sing more songs in order to make the experience fully enjoyable for viewers. Among the more positive reactions, the vast majority agreed that it was strange for Miku to sing in English but that the program she was appearing in was aimed at the English market, arguing that Crypton Future Media had done their due diligence to ensure the performance was as well-received as possible in the West.
Some fans have also questioned why Miku appeared on Letterman in the first place, because the fanbases of Vocaloid and late-night television don't necessarily overlap. They mention that David Letterman didn't feel like the right host for Miku and that she should have performed in front of a "younger, hipper host." Others have argued that the TV show is used to promote upcoming events and movies for any celebrity, regardless of their nationality or fanbase, and that Miku fell squarely into the former category.
The general consensus among fans was that the performance helped improve Hatsune Miku's public image in the West in a positive way, and they were eager to see if she would perform more on television, as well as whether the performance gave Miku new fans.

Although official clips of the performance have since been deleted after the Late Show with David Letterman ended its tour, there are numerous fan replays of the same performance on YouTube that have reached over 250,000 views.