Rock band with more than 1 million Spotify listeners reveals it's entirely AI-generated — down to the musicians themselves
Share this @internewscast.com

A vibrant rock band that rapidly climbed to the top of Spotify’s charts revealed it was completely created by artificial intelligence, merely a month after its debut album garnered one million listeners.

The band, Velvet Sundown, with its ’60s rock-and-roll style, disclosed on Saturday that nothing about it was authentic, after fans noticed an absence of any personal information or people linked to the band online.

Its debut album, “Floating on Echoes,” was released on June 5 to mass appeal online.

The album’s standout track, a pro-peace folk rock number titled “Dust on the Wind,” reached No. 1 on Spotify’s daily “Viral 50” chart in Britain, Norway, and Sweden from June 29 to July 1.

All the while, the one million monthly listeners who started following the Velvet Sundown had no idea they were just listening to a mass of artificial intelligence made by fake musicians.

The photos of the band shared online and featured on the album’s cover were unnaturally smooth and matte and the guitarist’s hand was wonky with fused fingers gripping his instrument — a classic hallmark of AI-generated images.

The band’s lyrics, too, were a perfect mesh of generic anti-war sentiments and other clichés like “Nothin’ lasts forever but the earth and sky, it slips away, and all your money won’t another minute buy.”

The faux rockstars were also pumping out new albums scarily — and inhumanly — fast, releasing two in June alone and another set for mid-July.

The band finally revealed its secret over the weekend.

It updated its Spotify biography Saturday to reflect the AI twist, assuring that the project hadn’t been trying to bamboozle its audience.

“The Velvet Sundown is a synthetic music project guided by human creative direction, and composed, voiced, and visualized with the support of artificial intelligence. This isn’t a trick – it’s a mirror. An ongoing artistic provocation designed to challenge the boundaries of authorship, identity, and the future of music itself in the age of AI,” the biography reads.

Some people who had seen through the band’s ploy early tried to take advantage of its viral success before the truth came out.

A Quebec-based web safety expert posed as a spokesperson for the Velvet Sundown under the pseudonym Andrew Frelon, which translates to hornet in French, and even slid false information to Rolling Stone magazine about his supposed clients.

But the man behind the Frelon quickly confessed that he was just trying to troll people online.

It’s unclear if the Velvet Sundown will face any backlash from Spotify or any other platforms where it may be eligible for streaming revenue.

Starting on July 15, YouTube announced that it would be cutting all monetization, including advertisements, for any content generated by AI.

In late June, popular YouTuber Mr.Beast announced a tool that would use AI to make thumbnails for videos. He quickly removed it after receiving backlash for supporting an artificial intelligence engine, which often requires massive amounts of energy that would steadily offset his years of environmental work and reforestation efforts.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Thanksgiving meal donations: Fight2Feed amplifies the call to help fight hunger in Chicago area this holiday season

Fight2Feed Amplifies Thanksgiving Meal Donations to Combat Hunger in the Chicago Area This Holiday Season

As Thanksgiving approaches, a Chicago-based food rescue group is intensifying its mission…
Report: FBI Concludes Trump's Would-Be Assassin in Butler Acted Alone

FBI Report Confirms Lone Actor in Attempted Assassination of Trump in Butler

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced that the individual who…
Duffy identifies Chicago train victim as 26-year-old Bethany MaGee while blasting city's 'carelessness'

Duffy Criticizes Chicago’s ‘Negligence’ After Identifying Train Victim as 26-Year-Old Bethany MaGee

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has identified the victim of a shocking attack…
Tyrod Taylor gets start but Jets still lose to Derrick Henry, Ravens

Tyrod Taylor Takes the Field, But Jets Fall Short Against Derrick Henry and the Ravens

BALTIMORE — Despite a change under center, the Jets faced a familiar…
Which grocery stores are open on Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving 2023: Your Guide to Grocery Stores Open for Last-Minute Essentials

In need of a last-minute grocery run before your Thanksgiving feast? Here…
Chicago crime: 15-year-old girl sexually assaulted at gunpoint in Ravenswood Manor while friend held by knife, police sources say

Shocking Ravenswood Manor Crime: Teenage Girl Endures Armed Assault While Friend Threatened with Knife

CHICAGO (WLS) — Over the weekend, Chicago police launched an investigation into…
‘Slender Man’ attacker cuts ankle bracelet, escapes halfway house

Urgent Alert: ‘Slender Man’ Attacker on the Run After Cutting Ankle Monitor

Morgan Geyser, one of the two girls involved in the 2014 stabbing…
Cartel connection: Hezbollah and Iran exploit Maduro’s Venezuela for cocaine cash

Israel Conducts Strategic Operation in Beirut, Eliminates Senior Hezbollah Military Commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that the Israel Defense…
Kristi Noem unveils $1B TSA modernization plan, awards $10K bonuses to workers who served during shutdown

Kristi Noem Announces Ambitious $1 Billion TSA Overhaul with $10K Bonuses for Shutdown Heroes

On Sunday, Kristi Noem, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security…
Kennedy cousin tied to Martha Moxley case breaks silence 50 years later as murder remains unsolved

After 50 Years of Silence, Kennedy Cousin Reveals Shocking Insights into the Unsolved Martha Moxley Murder Case

Half a century has passed since the murder of a young girl…
Taking out Hamas' million-dollar 'root' tunnel is game changer, analyst says

Destruction of Hamas’ Million-Dollar Tunnel Marks Strategic Shift, Analyst Reports

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recently unveiled a video showcasing what they…
Chicago homeowners facing largest property tax jump in at least 30 years, minority communities hit hardest: Cook County study

Chicago’s Historic Property Tax Surge: Minority Communities Bear the Brunt, Reveals Cook County Study

In Chicago, a recent computer system upgrade has led to some delays…