Selena Hologram Plans Record Tour: Is It Creepy Or An Honor To Singer’s Memory?

This could be very cool or quite disturbing. A tech company in Arizona is working to create a life-like hologram of legendary Tejano singer Selena that will sing, dance, interact with fans, and even release music and go on a record tour.

The official name of the hologram lends the endeavor a distinct flavor of creepiness: Digital Human Essence. But her family has actively pursued developing the hologram – like Tupac’s digital Cochella performance in 2012 – so that it’s as realistic as possible and doesn’t make Selena look like a ghost, her siser Suzette told Billboard.

“By no means is this something that’s creepy or weird. We think it’s something amazing. A lot of the new fans that did not get to experience what Selena was about hopefully will be able to get a sense of her with this new technology that’s going to be coming out.”

The journey to create a Selena hologram began last year. That’s when her father, Abraham, talked with the company that created Tupac’s hologram. But he found the prices extravagant and the technology lacking, People reported. So they turned to Nevada’s Acrovirt LLC, which will produce a completely interactive hologram that can do everything the star did – sing, dance, create records, and tour.

“Using detailed individual personalized functions spanning the mind, brain and body, the individual’s Digitized Human Essence will autonomously learn and react on behalf of its human counterpart’s. (It) will have the (ability) to interact in various online forms.”

SelenaTheOne needs a half million dollars to be developed and go on tour, and an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds kicks off April 16. A launch date for the hologram is planned for 2018, at the latest.

When that happens, Selena “will release new songs and videos, will collaborate with current hit artists, and aims to go on (a record) tour in 2018.” Suzette didn’t reveal much more to Billboard, except that her sister will sing again.

“I’m excited at the fact that she will be the first-ever and the fact that she’s a Latina makes it even more awesome. (The technology is) so interesting and mind-blowing that we just felt as a family that this is definitely something we’d want them to do with Selena.”

Creepy or not, Selena fans will certainly be excited to see their favorite Tejano star once again record an album and go on tour, even if it’s just the essence of the singer and not the real thing.

[Photo Courtesy Jana Birchum/Getty Images]