A new song featuring two of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B, Drake and The Weeknd, has taken the music world by storm. However, what sets this track apart is that it was not produced by the artists themselves, but rather by artificial intelligence (AI).
The song titled “Heart on My Sleeve” was posted on TikTok by an anonymous user with the username ghostwriter977, who appears in a white sheet and sunglasses. In the video, the producer claims that the entire song was created using AI.
Despite the mystery surrounding the producer, the song has already garnered over 9.2 million plays on TikTok and has been streamed more than 250,000 times on Spotify. Fans have been captivated by the striking similarity of the AI-generated voices to those of Drake and The Weeknd, and their enthusiasm for the track is palpable.
AI-generated music, with computer-generated vocalists, has been gaining traction in recent times. Even covers of popular songs, such as Beyonce’s “Cuff It” featuring Rihanna, reportedly produced using ChatGPT, have been well-received by fans. Similarly, Ye’s (formerly Kanye West) AI-cover of Colbie Caillat’s 2007 hit “Bubbly” has gained popularity.
However, not everyone is embracing this new trend of AI-generated music. A group of artists and record labels called the “Human Artistry Campaign” has published principles to protect human creativity and originality in the face of the growing prevalence of AI music. One of these principles emphasizes the importance of legal copyright, urging AI music producers to comply with copyright laws and avoid passing off AI-generated songs as the work of actual artists.
Drake has previously expressed his dissatisfaction with his voice being used in AI-generated music. In response to his voice being featured on a cover of a song by Bronx rapper Ice Spice, Drake took to Instagram, saying, “This is the final straw AI.”
While Drake and The Weeknd have yet to comment on the success of the AI-generated track “Heart on My Sleeve,” it remains to be seen how this phenomenon of AI-generated music will continue to impact the music industry and the artists involved.