Late Show with David Letterman and Hatsune Miku

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

History

David Letterman is one of the most revered now-former late-night television hosts in the United States. He hosted the Late Show with David Letterman from August 30, 1993, to May 20, 2015, producing 4,261 episodes. The program was notable for the interviews with special guests, episode structure, and regular sketches.

Hatsune Miku

Though this wasn't her first appearance on American television, it was Hatsune Miku network television debut and also the first time she would perform on television for American audiences.
To promote her appearance at an upcoming art festival, Hatsune Miku performed as the closing act of the October 8, 2014 episode of the Late Show with David Letterman. Though the performance lasted 5 minutes, the resulting reactions online applauded the effort, style, and organization employed in the performance.
Letterman introduced Miku as a "computer-generated Vocaloid personality from Japan," to which some of the audience giggled.
While Miku sang, her live band and not Letterman's in-house band performed alongside her, allowing the projection to show the viewers the technological feats being made. After singing BIGHEAD feat.Hatsune Miku's "Sharing the World", the theme song for 2014's MIKU EXPO, Letterman appeared on camera and laughed nervously but with a large smile simply stated, "It's like being on Willie Nelson's bus." This is in reference to famous American singer Willie Nelson. Letterman and Miku continuously waved to the crowd while the ending credits scrolled.
The live studio audience gave loud applause after the performance ended which indicated to many that, while they may not have been a fan or even heard of Miku, they enjoyed the experience nonetheless.

Public Reaction

Various articles popped up overnight discussing the performance. Many critiqued the lack of clarity with the lyrics as the software hadn't yet perfected singing in English. Well-known news media website, Hollywood Reporter mentioned a "holographic" performance which is technically incorrect though most media outlets use the term to make people think that the technology is futuristic. The article was one of few to mention that Miku was in the United States, and on the program, to advertise for her upcoming art exhibit in New York City.
Many likened the performance to that of Tupac's projection-based performance at the Coachella music festival in 2012. This is considered a fair assessment as the technology used for both performances were very similar on a technical level. Others jokingly mentioned that if Apple's Siri voice was ever given a virtual body, that she would become the next pop star.
Overall, most of the articles believed that the performance was an overall victory for the technology and Miku fans alike.

Fan Reaction

Fan reaction was surprisingly divided on the performance. Of the dissenters, many reasoned that the song wasn't in Miku's native Japanese, "they (Crypton Future Media) could have used a better song", or that one song wasn't enough and she needed to sing more songs in order to make the experience fully enjoyable for viewers. Of the more positive reactions, the overwhelming majority agreed that it felt off for Miku to sing in English but that the program in which she appeared was targeted towards the English market, arguing that Crypton Future Media did their due diligence in ensuring the performance was as well-received in the West as possible.
Some fans were also left wondering why Miku appeared on Letterman in the first place, as the fanbase for Vocaloid and for late-night television don't necessarily overlap. They mention that David Letterman felt like the wrong host for Miku and she should have performed for a "younger, hipper host". Others argued that the television show is used to promote upcoming events and movies for any celebrity, regardless of nationality or fanbase, and that Miku fell into the former category perfectly.
The overall consensus from the fanbase is that the performance helped boost Hatsune Miku's public image in the west for the positive and that they were eager to see if she will perform more on TV, as well as if the performance gave Miku new fans.

Although official clips of the performance have since been removed after Late Show With David Letterman concluded its run, there are many re-uploads of the same performance on YouTube by fans that have reached over 250,000 views.

Links

SoraNews
Wikipedia
Polygon
The Verge
Kotaku
Hollywood Reporter
Mikufan