AI-Generated Rock Band Takes Spotify by Storm
A newly formed rock ensemble, known as Velvet Sundown, has surprisingly emerged at the upper echelons of Spotify, revealing that it is entirely created by artificial intelligence. This announcement comes just a month after the release of their debut album, which attracted an impressive million listeners.
The band, inspired by the rock sounds of the 1960s, disclosed on Saturday that its members are not real after keen fans noted the absence of any identifiable musicians connected to the group online.
Their debut album, “Floating on Echoes,” dropped on June 5, swiftly gaining popularity across various platforms.
One standout track, the folk rock anthem “Dust on the Wind,” achieved the top spot on Spotify’s daily “Viral 50” chart in the UK, Norway, and Sweden from June 29 to July 1.
While the Velvet Sundown celebrated surpassing one million monthly listeners, most fans remained unaware that they were enjoying music crafted by a collection of artificial artists.
Images shared on social media and the album cover featured unnaturally polished and flat visuals, with evident glitches—such as the guitarist’s inaccurately depicted hand, a classic sign of AI-generated imagery.
The lyrics were a seamless blend of typical anti-war themes and overused phrases like, “Nothin’ lasts forever but the earth and sky, it slips away, and all your money won’t another minute buy.”
Further highlighting its AI origins, the band had been remarkably prolific, releasing two albums in June and another anticipated in mid-July.
The group eventually disclosed its true nature over the weekend.
On Saturday, it modified its Spotify biography to clarify its AI foundation, stating that it had no intention of deceiving its listeners.
“The Velvet Sundown is a synthetic music project guided by human creative direction, and composed, voiced, and visualized with the support of artificial intelligence. This isn’t a trick – it’s a mirror. An ongoing artistic provocation aimed at exploring the limits of authorship, identity, and the future of music in the age of AI,” the biography explained.
Some individuals who recognized the band’s ruse early on sought to capitalize on its viral fame before the revelation was made.
A web safety expert from Quebec impersonated a spokesperson for Velvet Sundown, using the alias Andrew Frelon—which translates to hornet in French—and even fed misleading information to Rolling Stone magazine about his imaginary clients.
However, the person behind this persona later admitted he was merely attempting to troll the internet.
The potential repercussions for Velvet Sundown regarding their streaming status on Spotify and other platforms remain uncertain.
Starting July 15, YouTube announced it would halt all monetization for AI-generated content, including advertisements.
In late June, well-known YouTuber Mr. Beast unveiled a tool utilizing AI to create video thumbnails but promptly retracted it after facing backlash for promoting an artificial intelligence system that often consumes vast energy, countering his prior environmental efforts.
Passionate journalist and digital news editor with a keen eye for global affairs and emerging trends. As the founder and lead writer of RSS News US, he is dedicated to delivering accurate, insightful, and engaging content to readers seeking trustworthy news in a fast-paced world.
