Drake and The Weeknd Song Generated by AI Receives Millions of Plays
Two of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B, Drake and The Weeknd, have become the subject of a viral song titled “Heart on My Sleeve.” However, neither artist had anything to do with the production of the track.
The song was posted on TikTok by an anonymous individual named ghostwriter977, who claimed that it was made entirely by artificial intelligence. The song has been a hit on both TikTok and Spotify, with over 9.2 million plays and 250,000.
While fans seem to love the song, there are concerns about the increasing trend of AI-generated music. A group of artists and their record labels have formed the “Human Artistry Campaign” and published seven principles to “support human creativity and accomplishment.” The group argues that AI can never replace human expression and artistry. One of the principles is that AI music producers must comply with legal copyright so that songs aren’t passed off as if they were written by the actual artist.
Despite these concerns, AI-generated music with computer-generated vocalists has become increasingly popular. A cover of Beyonce’s “Cuff It” featuring Rihanna was well-received by fans, although it was reportedly produced using ChatGPT. Kanye West’s AI-cover of Colbie Caillat’s 2007 hit “Bubbly” has also been a hit.
The song “Heart on My Sleeve” has been particularly successful, sounding eerily similar to the voices of Drake and The Weeknd themselves. Fans have praised the track, with one user commenting, “I like it but I feel like I’m not supposed to,” while another wrote, “Bout to be the first AI platinum record.”
Drake has not commented on the computer-generated track, but he has previously expressed his distaste for AI. In reaction to his voice being used on a cover of Bronx,NY rapper Ice Spice’s “Munch (Feelin’ U),” Drake wrote “This is the final straw AI,” in a post to his Instagram.