so i was accidentally vibing to an AI "singer"
pls respect my privacy at this time
Not to be dramatic, but if I’m awake, I’m probably listening to music. In the background, in my ears, in my head, which occasionally makes friends ask if I’m having a wee mental episode. I’m not. I just really appreciate a bit of music. At all times. I’m constantly dragging people to the jazz club, whether or not they want to go—sue me. It’s edifying. Community-building. Life-affirming. Romance-inducing. A chill live music moment can sustain my energy and my mood for weeks.
Earlier this week I shared a song I’ve been loving on my little Instagram story, something I do with relative frequency because art is better when shared, okay, and proceeded to go about my day. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE when I checked my messages and someone was kindly, gently—dare I say almost pityingly?—delivering the following news:
And reader, the thing is I, like I assume many of you who are also in possession of taste and whimsy, do like Olivia Dean.
However, and not to sound like an anti-vaxxer for a quick sec, I did unfortunately have to Do My Own Research before deciding to off myself on account of this bombshell news drop.
And what I found … babes … what if I was suic*dal???
No matter how many articles I read, despite my growing desperation, the answer seemed to be the same:
Streaming service Deezer, which has developed tools to tackle AI music, told the BBC that “many of her albums and songs on the platform are detected and flagged” as computer-generated. (BBC)
Is nothing sacred anymore? Like, forget for a moment about my well-documented disdain of genAI. Is it crazy to assume that if a streamer plays a “singer” who is actually not “human,” they should be required to disclose it? Indeed:
In September, Spotify announced that AI-generated “bands” and “artists” are allowed on the platform, but would be encouraged to label their projects properly. “We’re not here to punish artists for using AI authentically and responsibly,” said Charlie Hellman, Spotify’s VP global head of music product in a statement announcing the streaming giant’s AI guidelines. “We hope that artists’ use of AI production tools will enable them to be more creative than ever.” (Rolling Stone)
You might not know this, but the phrase “using AI authentically” is what appears in the dictionary when you look up the word oxymoron, by the way.
Do these companies think we’re idiots?1 I mean, obviously, I fell for it because I was temporarily an idiot. It can happen to anyone, okay?? To anyone. The thing is, how is it possible that Instagram of all places requires users to disclose when a post is aided by artificial intelligence—Instagram, mind you, the platform where self-expression goes to wither and die—but Spotify can allow a label to promote music generated by an LLM without a little asterisk? A little fyi what you’re listening to is less pithy than an elevator jingle???
Indeed, when I clicked on Sienna Rose’s artist profile, not only did she not seem to exist—musically, at least—prior to 2025, but this was her bio:
To be fair, if I’d clicked sooner, “not just a performer, but a storyteller of the heart” would’ve probably tipped me off. That’s a level of cringe even country artists wouldn’t be caught dead spinning.2 But I didn’t! I didn’t click sooner! Like I said: I was busy vibing!
I realize some people don’t care that they’re listening to genAI-created music. “If I like it, who cares who made it?” And I don’t love calling anyone soulless, really I don’t, it doesn’t feel good, but: isn’t the point of art to make something meaningful out of this beautiful and wretched human experience? And if not meaningful, then at least sincere?
The fact that Sienna Rose’s music isn’t the sort of Selling Sunset stock song we’ve all become painfully accustomed to in recent years (you know, the kind that assaults your ears with the pitchiest synth you’ve ever heard and lyrics like “strutting down Rodeo Drive, she is a woman (a woman a woman a woman) with an outfit and a dream (an outfit and a dream, an outfit and a dream) and a facialist on sp-p-p-p-eed dial!”) but is instead being billed as “neosoul???” We’re co-opting soul music with AI? Insult, meet injury!
The feeling of being thus bamboozled is one I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Like, we’re all this close to becoming Truman Burbank except we’re knowingly letting it happen to us. Can we stand up for a second?
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Yes.
Not one for hypocrisy, this is where EYE disclose that I’ve been listening to Hunter Hayes’ self-titled 2011 album and his 2014 album Storyline … I am sorry, but singing “Storm Warning” and “Wild Card” at the top of my lungs, mascara wand in hand as I get ready to go out … a moment like THAT!
I know it is painful to switch streaming services but I promise it’s SO worth it. The audio quality is better, (human) artist support is better, and you can own your favorite music again while still having access to everything.
(As an aside, I was, until recently, doing a recycle-the-income model where I supported other artists and writers via subscriptions with MY subscription and streaming income. Unfortunately, due to Spotify changing its algorithm last year, I had to cancel several subscriptions due to my streaming income from 2025 being less than HALF of what I made in 2024, and me not being able to make up the difference with my job income because I’m back in school)
I can tell you that I’m absolutely terrified of accidentally being fed an AI artist and liking them… there should be some kind of selection somewhere to choose “do not pop any AI artists into my algorithm.”