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
People boarding a small airplane.

How Carolina Wilga Survived 13 Days in the Cold Australian Outback After Going Missing

AFTER spending 11 freezing nights out in the wild, it was a…
30 years later: How deadly July, 1995 Chicago heat wave led to formation of Office of Emergency Management and Communications

Three Decades On: The Impact of Chicago’s July 1995 Heatwave on Creating the Office of Emergency Management and Communications

CHICAGO (WLS) — This time, 30 year ago, Chicago was grappling with…
Portrait of Caroline Dinenage, Britain's culture minister, at the G20 Culture Ministers meeting.

Young people prioritize everyday concerns over trans discussions

YOUNG people are more worried about bread and butter issues than racism…
Iliamna Volcano in Alaska 'rumbling' after being inactive for a century

Alaska’s Iliamna Volcano Shows Signs of Activity After 100 Years of Dormancy

(NewsNation) — A volcano in Alaska that last erupted in 1867 is…
‘Love Island: Beyond The Villa’ Star Miguel Harichi Gushes Over Future With Leah Kateb: “I Know I’m Gonna Marry That Girl”

‘Love Island: Beyond The Villa’ Star Miguel Harichi Enthusiastically Discusses His Future with Leah Kateb: “I’m Sure I’ll Marry Her”

Love Island USA Season 6 runner-ups Miguel Harichi and Leah Kateb are…
Trump announces new tariffs on Mexico, EU to begin Aug. 1

Trump Reveals Upcoming Tariffs on Mexico and the EU Starting August 1

Trump announced the tariffs on two of the United States’ biggest trade…
Live Aid 40th anniversary: Judas Priest, Rick Springfield, John Oates and Bob Geldof reflect on concerts from Philadelphia, London

Celebrating 40 Years of Live Aid: Judas Priest, Rick Springfield, John Oates, and Bob Geldof Share Their Memories of the Philadelphia and London Concerts

NEW YORK — Forty years ago, the iconic Live Aid concerts set…
Trump assassination suspect floats bizarre prisoner swap in letter to judge, asks why he can’t be executed

Suspect in Trump Assassination Plot Proposes Unusual Prisoner Exchange in Court Letter, Questions Execution Options

Ryan Routh, the suspected attempted assassin of President Donald Trump, has penned…
Fire-spewing instruments on display in Brooklyn

Fire-Breathing Art Installations Light Up Brooklyn Gallery

Shooting off pyrotechnics at a concert may be nothing new, but a…
Here’s how much money New Yorkers need to retire comfortably: new study

New Study Reveals the Retirement Savings New Yorkers Need for Comfort

Research indicates that retirees in New York require an average of $50,997…
Mamdani's dad part of anti-Israel group sympathetic to suicide bombers

Mamdani’s Father Linked to Anti-Israel Group Supportive of Suicide Bombers

The father of socialist NYC mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani serves on an…
Child predator among more than 300 nabbed in cannabis farm ICE raid, largest of Trump's second term

Over 300 Arrested, Including Child Predator, in Major ICE Cannabis Farm Raid During Trump’s Second Term

Federal authorities have announced that over 300 undocumented individuals were detained on…