#ai-in-music

#ai-in-music

Judging by mainstream music in 2025, humankind is not in a particularly creative place. The year's main storylines included the rise of AI slop and cartoon K-pop. A number of once-lively hitmakers churned out forgettable product. The most-streamed tracks came out in previous years; the songs of the summer sounded like winter. An escape from the malaise was simple: listening more broadly for new music. The best albums of this year were strange and personal.

In the electrifying landscape of 2025, Lucy Dreams is at the forefront of a revolutionary fusion of art and technology, reshaping the very essence of pop music. With their upcoming LP VVVVV, the band amplifies their iconic identity, combining the warmth of analogue with the cutting-edge pulse of the digital world. At the heart of this project is Lucy, their innovative artificial band member, who enhances their creative journey and challenges perceptions of collaboration.

The Velvet Sundown, who managed to rack up over a million streams on Spotify in mere weeks, were recently revealed to be entirely AI-generated. Not just the music; the promotional photos, the back story, even their mysterious 'somewhere between human and machine' persona.

AI-generated bands like Velvet Sundown that are reaching big audiences without involving human creators raise serious concerns around transparency, authorship and consent. If used ethically, AI has the potential to enhance songwriting, but we are currently concerned with what I call deeply troubling issues with the use of AI in music.

"Absolutely crazy that so-called 'journalists' keep pushing the lazy, baseless theory that The Velvet Sundown is 'AI-generated' with zero evidence..."

Tune-Yards' music defies conventional structure while remaining infectious and danceable, resulting in a raw vitality that captures audiences' attention.

This song has totally taken over in Japan, racking up 34 million views on YouTube alone and soaring to the top of Spotify's Viral 50 Japan chart.

SoundCloud believes AI, when responsibly developed, can significantly enhance artistic expression by empowering creators with the necessary tools while upholding rights and fair compensation.