Traversing the world of non-fungibles is a daunting task. With so many new NFT projects, artists, and large-scale collections cropping up weekly, it has become nearly impossible to keep up with all the new and exciting happenings.
Previously, all that was needed to find the latest NFT craze was a simple browse through OpenSea. But things have changed drastically since the 2021 NFT boom. Now, NFT enthusiasts have to really be mindful of what and where they collect.
To aid in the unearthing of awe-inspiring NFT endeavors both new and old, nft now presents Undervalued: a weekly column highlighting innovative projects, collections, and artists pushing the NFT space forward.
Necessary Evil is an EP turned NFT collection that was launched on March 22, 2022, by LA-based indie-pop band Talk Time. The project comes as a wide variety of artists and musicians continue to make the switch from direct to streaming releases, but offers a new, digital way for music fans to experience all the usuals offered within the packaging of a deluxe album.
The release was created in collaboration with Props Labs, the development team behind beloved NFT projects like Deadfellaz, Boss Beauties, Woodies, and more and offers collectors a unique web3 musical experience. In addition to receiving art created by the band’s guitar/synths player Mike Nissen as well as digital liner notes (credits, lyrics, story behind the EP), Necessary Evil holders can listen to the EP in its entirety via an interactive NFT music player — illustrating yet another unique way in which web3 music artists can build a brand and incentivize their community around blockchain tech.
Noodles is a large-supply PFP NFT collection that launched on December 16, 2021. The project started as a late-night joke between two NFT collectors and bloomed into a noodle-themed community with art derived from the ever-popular Doodles collection.
For those that can’t afford an NFT from the now quite pricey Doodles collection, Noodles provides an affordable alternative. In contrast to many other derivative projects, Noodles was conceived with the full support and backing of the founders of Doodles. The collection was even voted into existence via a poll in which only Doodles owners could participate, making it a legitimate offspring of the now-famous OG project.
The project’s developers have said that their main goal is to create a positive and fun community, and have continued to grow and develop their community in the shadow of Doodles, even preparing to launch their own rendition of the recent Space Doodles project expansion.
FVCK_AVATAR//, released on April 6, 2022, is the latest installment in a growing metaverse gaming platform and exploratory art experience from influential artist FVCKRENDER. The collection features 12,969 unique avatars that can only be obtained by burning an ESSENCE// (essentially a min pass) token.
Although FVCK_AVATAR// is still in its infancy, the project has highlighted a unique use case of a long-term vision slowly coming together. For over a year now FVCKRENDER has been growing and developing his metaverse gaming platform LVCIDIA// (formerly the FVCKRENDERVERSE//). The game itself is free to play, but collecting an NFT from one of FVCKRENDER’s many collections will give players access to the game’s built-in tokenomics as well as partial control over the narrative of LVCIDIA//.
Furthermore, FVCK_AVATAR// serves to highlight a discrepancy in how large-scale PFP projects are perceived. Although FVCKRENDER is one of the most revered creators in the NFT ecosystem, his new avatar collection has yet to reach even a fraction of the sales volume of other PFP projects. Even though the Canadian artist has already made good on many of his roadmap promises, delivering a fully-playable game and offering membership to his robust community while many other prominent projects seem to be under construction and lacking in deliverables.
TIMEPieces x FOTO, which launched on January 10, 2022, is a collaborative NFT project between TIME Magazine’s NFT initiative and artist-led collective FOTO. The collaboration came at a time when NFT photography was receiving more widespread attention and support than ever before and served as a prequel to TIME’s release of the first-ever full, interactive magazine issue on the blockchain.
As part of this collaboration, TIMEPieces received a worldwide license to 24 of the artworks kept within the FOTO vaults. The relationship between TIMEPieces and FOTO — which is made up of established NFT photographers Alejandro Cartagena, Ben Strauss, Cath Simard, Dave Krugman, Isaac “Drift” Wright, J.N. Silva, John Knopf, and Ravi Vora — still serves as a precedent for other mainstream brands hoping to help grow the NFT photography sector.
The Heart Project is a PFP NFT collection launched on September 27, 2021, that incentivizes its NFT owners to take part in a community-run creative studio. Created by Stefan Meier and Aidan Cullen, Heart Project aims to produce multimedia projects and experiences through collaboration with its thousands of holders.
Meier and Cullen’s Heart Project highlights the growing trend of NFT developers endeavoring to bootstrap full creative studios and entertainment brands leveraged on the success of their large-supply collections. In 2022, The Heart project crew is aiming to expand upon their physical art installations (like their Heart Basel event with Doodles) as well as launch a clothing brand, curate and shoot music videos and performance art pieces, and more — including a supposed forthcoming collaboration with music industry giants Benny Blanco and Lil Dicky.
Editor’s note: At time of publication, members of the nft now staff are holders of FVCK_AVATAR// and TIMEPieces NFTs.
