Her beautiful teal twintails sway in my mind as her angelic, humanoid voice engulfs me like I’m being baptized in an ocean of awesomesauceness. Hatsune Miku is undoubtedly the best thing to happen to the music world since Radiohead was created.

First of all, let’s clear something up: Hatsune Miku is a Vocaloid, not an anime character, contrary to what your misinformed cousin might say at Thanksgiving. A Vocaloid is a singing voice synthesizer software developed by Yamaha (yes, the same company that makes pianos and motorcycles). It allows users to create music by typing in lyrics and melodies, using synthesized vocals from voicebanks. In simpler terms, it’s like GarageBand but for a robot voice.

Now that you know what Miku is, let’s talk about who she is and where you have probably seen her. Miku is a sixteen-year-old virtual girl with teal twintails and a passion for fashion. The awesome part about Vocaloids is that they can do impossible outfit changes, resulting in physics-defying dresses and beautifully animated clothing. Miku has been featured in over 100 outfits alone in her game Hatsune Miku Project Diva X and probably over a thousand across all of her media combined. She puts Barbie to shame in this fashion (pun intended).

Another thing that Miku can do that other singers can’t is sing technically impossible songs. She can sing at lightspeed and infinitely high and low due to the limitless nature of her software. Many of Miku’s songs are also fan-made, meaning there is something for everyone. There are pop, metal, rap, classical, and even yodeling songs that people have made with Miku’s software.

Going back to the game Hatsune Miku Project Diva X, Miku has been featured in many video games across a wide variety of genres. She has her own games like Hatsune Miku: Project Sekai, Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai, and several other mobile games. Though she has her own games, she has also been featured in games such as Pokémon, Yakuza, and even Fortnite. So, paired with the fact that there is a song by Miku for everyone, there is probably a game for everyone, too.

Miku has collaborated with more brands than a Kardashian, which has helped her spread her name across the globe. Sanrio, Pizza Hut, Louis Vuitton, Toyota – this girl has range. Everyone wants to partner with Miku, and I can’t blame them.

Miku is one of those national treasures like Betty White and Dolly Parton. Universally loved. Untouchably iconic. Miku can never be problematic and cancelled herself because she is immune to cancellation, as her words and actions are crowd-sourced by devoted fans. If someone messes up, it’s on them. Miku remains unbothered, flawless, and floating in cyberspace.

Miku also performs concerts. This may seem confusing at first because most people think it is probably just a recorded video of a fake person, and they would be partially correct. At the concerts, Miku is displayed as a hologram, making it look like she is on a 3D plane. There is also live music rather than a recording, making the experience more lively as a whole.

But my favorite thing about Miku isn’t just the songs or the concerts or the outfits or even the fact that she is technically immortal—it’s the community. The fan art. The endless merch. The weird little corners of the internet dedicated to her legacy. Miku unites people across languages, beliefs, and countries. She is a cross-cultural phenomenon built entirely on love and creativity. It brings a tear to my eye. *sniff*

Hatsune Miku isn’t just a Vocaloid – she’s a lifestyle. A holographic fashion icon forged in the fires of the internet. She lives in my WiFi. She haunts my dreams. She’s the reason I eat leeks. And one day, when civilization inevitably collapses, I have no doubt Miku will rise from the ashes, teal twintails glowing, to rebuild the world with autotune and awesomeness.

Long live the queen of cyberspace: Hatsune Miku.