Pop music fans and producers alike are harnessing AI to create convincing fake tracks in the style of famous musicians.
The results wouldn’t look out of place on a dream collab playlist on Spotify or Apple Music. Just this week, a recording of an AI Rihanna covering Beyoncé’s Cuff It was heard by millions on Twitter.
And have you ever wondered what Kanye’s apologetic comeback single would sound like? AI has already brought it to life with compelling results.
Or how about late drill artist Pop Smoke covering fellow New Yorker Ice Spice’s earworm Munch? You guessed it, it’s been done.
These tracks are the latest examples of a divisive trend sweeping through the music industry, polarising fans, artists, and record labels in its wake. Superstar DJ David Guetta thinks AI is the future of music; the sad man of indie, Nick Cave, despises it.
Record labels are also sending mixed messages. On the one hand, Universal Music Group is demanding streaming services clamp down on AI-generated music. While rival Sony is giving musicians AI tools that can generate melodies and instrumentals.
To help get you up to speed, we’ve put together a list of the biggest AI tracks that have surfaced online over the past few years. So hit play and judge for yourself if they live up to the real thing.
Rihanna covers Beyoncé’s Cuff it
While you await Rihanna’s ninth album, check out this AI cover of Beyoncé’s hit Cuff It.
IA Rihanna from ChatGPT singing Beyoncé’s "Cuff It" pic.twitter.com/1TAmHEDAKv
— Rihanna Facts (@Nevernyny) April 13, 2023
Eminem featured in David Guetta’s DJ set
The French DJ used two AI sites to create lyrics and a rap in the style of Eminem for a live show. Despite singing the praises of the burgeoning tech, Guetta does not plan to release the track commercially.
Pop Smoke covering Ice Spice’s Munch
The late Pop Smoke covering drill princess Ice Spice’s Munch is exactly the kind of delirious mash-up only AI can make possible.
Metallica — Deliverance
YouTuber Kirt Connor uses bots and a lyric database to create songs by rock gods like Metallica, Nirvana, and AC/DC. He then records, mixes, and masters the songs himself, often in his kitchen, using cheap guitars and off-the-shelf music-recording software. He admits the barmy lyrics are like “word salad”, but the end result isn’t half bad in this case.
Juice Wrld — These Days
Since his death in 2019, emo rapper Juice Wrld has posthumously appeared on tracks with Eminem and The Weeknd. Most of these songs feature vocals cobbled together from recordings he made before he passed away.
But, earlier in April, this AI-generated take on an unreleased Juice Wrld track wowed fans of the late musician. “This song is fire and I’ve had it on repeat for the last hour,” wrote one YouTube user.
“This is the only real way we can keep juice alive for many many years to come,” said another.
A Beatles homage
Sony released this ode to the Beatles all the way back in 2016. The track is essentially a demonstration of the Japanese company’s AI music software, Flow Machines, which is available on the Apple App store. The tech can create melodies and chords for musicians to download and use on other music-creation software, including Apple’s GarageBand.
Linkin Park and Imagine Dragons
US band Poe the Passenger officially released this AI-generated song after it went viral on TikTok. The track is basically what a bot reckons a Linkin Park/Imagine Dragons collaboration would sound like.
@poethepassenger HOLOGRAM is out 2 :: 17 ::23 😭#imaginedragons #linkinpark #poethepassenger #newmusic #indieartist #singersongwriter #fyp #1000hours #bot #hologram
♬ HOLOGRAM by Poe the Passenger - Poe the Passenger
The Weeknd and Drake
Under the name ghostwriter, a song titled ‘heart on my sleeve’ has been released in the style of The Weeknd and Drake. This comes soon after Drake has already expressed displeasure at being “cloned”, writing “this is the final straw AI” on Instagram after seeing another similar project elsewhere.
