At first glance, the band's rise seemed like an inspiring musical story. But the lack of verifiable information about the band members raised doubts. The polished visuals, the clichéd lyrics, and the strangely perfect vocals left many wondering, "Is this real?"
According to the Washington Post, the band's confirmation that all of their music was created by artificial intelligence (AI) "under human creative direction" completely changed perceptions. By calling their project "a mirror" and "an ongoing artistic act challenging the boundaries of copyright, identity, and the future of music in the AI age," the creators of Velvet Sundown don't seem to be trying to fool anyone, but rather are raising big questions about the nature of art, such as fairness, emotion, and the role of humans in creation.
The admission of the truth about Velvet Sundown brought to an end nearly three weeks of speculation. Shortly after the band began attracting media attention, a user claiming to be Andrew Frelon online declared himself the band's spokesperson and provided conflicting information about the use of AI to Rolling Stone magazine. The press interviewed Frelon but could not verify his actual connection to Velvet Sundown. Later, Frelon, who described himself as a cybersecurity expert living in Quebec, Canada, posted a lengthy article on Medium, admitting to impersonating the band on Twitter simply to taunt those outraged by an AI band.
Velvet Sundown itself doesn't offer an answer; instead, it forces listeners, platforms, and the music industry to confront the "gray area" between art, algorithms, and creative intent. Whether this is a gimmick or a glimpse into the future of music, the band's success is undeniable. It gets people listening and talking. The persuasiveness of Velvet Sundown's music is also subject to mixed reviews, but it's a thought-provoking reality. For example, Steven Hyden, author of " Twilight of the Gods: A Journey to the End of Classic Rock, " felt that " Dust on the Wind " sounded like an imitation of "mild," gentle Los Angeles bands. “There are many bands trying to recreate the spirit of late 60s and early 70s folk rock as faithfully as possible… If someone played me Dust on the Wind without saying anything more, I wouldn’t have reason to suspect it was fake, I’d just think it was a band mimicking the old style, making a song that sounds okay,” Steven Hyden said.
But for Jamie Jones, an electrical engineer from Manchester, England, who happened to hear the band's music through algorithmic recommendations on a streaming platform, it was different. At first, he completely believed Dust on the Wind was sung by humans. Upon learning the truth, he hoped Spotify wouldn't include AI-powered songs in playlists without clear labeling. According to Jones, "if you put five songs from the same AI band in a playlist, and Spotify knows it's AI, then they're clearly taking away opportunities, even livelihoods, from people trying to make a living from music." There are also some who aren't too bothered about the music being AI-powered, because for them, what matters is the emotion the music evokes.
In any case, the Velvet Sundown case is a prime example reflecting how AI is reshaping the music industry, not just behind the scenes but right at the heart of the creative process. Spotify has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/am-nhac-ai-va-velvet-sundown-post803554.html
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