Is This Artist Real?
Since its inception, the music industry has been the subject of numerous debates regarding the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). Many believe that it opens the possibilities for the advancement of music; for example, the final song from The Beatles, “Now and Then,” was completed through AI. Others believe that music produced by AI will always be a hollow and soulless replacement for real artistry.
It is no doubt impressive that AI can revive a demo from 46 years ago and make it sound as if it were produced today. This isn’t what critics are referring to when they claim AI poses a threat to the music industry. This is frequently in response to music produced from scratch by feeding AI a prompt, which creates an entire song in minutes.
In theory, feeding a prompt into a machine and having it produce a song similar to a Taylor Swift record in minutes sounds cool. Still, it will always lack the authenticity and human experience that connects people to a musician's art. Despite concerns that AI would strip the integrity of music, we haven’t seen it make a significant impact in the industry until now.
The poet Telisha “Nikki” Jones and her AI persona, Xania Monet, recently signed with Hollywood Media in a $3 million record deal. Jones released an R&B record titled “Unfolded” through the Monet character in August, with the song “How Was I Supposed To Know?” gaining traction on the platform TikTok and reaching No.1 on the R&B Digital Song Sales. Jones produces her music by incorporating her own songwriting abilities and AI-produced vocals. She argues that she still puts in the work to ensure that the vocals are clean and that the music is of high quality.
Despite record labels' push forward with their embrace of AI artists, some real artists are pushing back. Kehlani Ashley Parrish, an R&B artist, spoke on the matter on her Instagram, saying, “The person is doing none of the work — AI can also make an entire song, it can make the entire beat. This is so beyond our control, and nothing will ever and no one will ever be able to justify AI to me, especially not AI in the creative arts, in which people have worked hard for, trained for, slept on the floor for, got injuries for. I’m sorry, I don’t respect it.”
The problem with the Monet persona extends far beyond AI taking over many industries; in this specific case, the persona of Xania Monet, is taking space in an industry that oftentimes overlooks black artistry. There is so much amazing music coming from black women that it feels like an insult to reward a machine over real artists. Which is why I’ve decided to suggest three black female artists who were not generated by a machine that everyone should be listening to.
Hemlocke Springs - If you enjoy the catchy synth pop sound, ethereal vocals, and campy adlibs that Chappel Roan has reintroduced to the mainstream, you should run to listen to Hemlocke Springs. Springs’ record “Going…Going…GONE!” offers seven spunky and whimsical songs that have a little bit of everything. From the catchy song “Girlfriend” that has gained a million streams on Spotify and is described as the “awkward Black girl anthem” to “Gimme All Ur Luv,” a song with vocals that sound like a mix of Cyndi Lauper and Kate Bush. Hemlocke Springs transports you back to the ‘80s.
Rachel Cincouri - Are you in need of a new Indie girlie to obsess over? Rachel Cincouri’s got you covered. The UK artist released her LP, “What A Devastating Turn of Events,” which explores various coming-of-age themes with an alternative and pop-rock sound. Her lyrics are oftentimes cheeky and relatable to the everyday person trying to survive their twenties. Cincouri enters a genre and space that doesn’t prominently feature black artists, making her presence, perspective, and life experiences all the more compelling. Songs that I would recommend to new listeners are "The Hills,” “Never Needed Me,” and the title track. Since the release of her LP, Cincouri was nominated for two Brit Awards, one of which was for artist of the year. She has also opened for Sabrina Carpenter's "Short n Sweet" tour.
Sudan Archives - As an R&B fan, I’ve always enjoyed the old school sound and artists like Brandy and the girl group Changing Faces. However, when an artist is able to bend the rules and create a genre within a genre like Sudan Archives does, it’s impressive. With her innovative sound, the American singer, songwriter, and violinist has found a way to take the genre by storm, pushing the boundaries of what R&B is and what it could become in the future. Sudan Archives has released two albums that have just been glimpses of what she’s capable of. Her upcoming record, “The BPM,” seems to be the singer's star-making record, with just a few singles having been released. The songs “Dead” and “My Type” sound more like art than music with otherworldly production and catchy beats.
The three artists I’ve recommended will surpass any database or machine that generates artificial vocals because real emotions were put into these projects. A machine with a prompt could never replicate that.