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
John Harbaugh retains Chad Hall as Giants’ receivers coach for Malik Nabers

Giants’ Head Coach John Harbaugh Confirms Chad Hall’s Continued Role as Receivers Coach, Aiming to Enhance Malik Nabers’ Performance

Chad Hall is set to make a transition from coaching Jaxson Dart…
Man arrested, charged in Neptune Beach road rage shooting

Neptune Beach Road Rage Incident: Man Arrested and Charged Following Shooting

In a troubling case of road rage, Fabio Ladino, aged 43, has…
Martha Moxley Case: Kennedy cousin points to ‘bold-faced lies,’ missing evidence in murder probe

Kennedy Cousin Challenges Martha Moxley Murder Investigation: Alleges ‘Bold-Faced Lies’ and Missing Evidence

In a development that rekindles interest in a long-standing mystery, Michael Skakel,…
California woman arrested after allegedly beheading boyfriend, fleeing to Mexico

California Woman Apprehended Following Alleged Beheading of Boyfriend and Subsequent Escape to Mexico

A chilling incident has unfolded in California, where a woman from Anaheim…
Salman Rushdie refuses to be 'diverted' by terrorism after surviving near-fatal stabbing attack

Salman Rushdie Stands Strong Against Terrorism After Surviving Stabbing Attack

More than three years have passed since the near-fatal stabbing of Salman…
Egor Demin's first NBA double-double leads Nets to win over Jazz

Egor Demin’s Debut Double-Double Propels Nets to Victory Against Jazz

Egor Dëmin, a rising star with the Nets, returned to Utah for…
Senate passes Trump-backed government funding deal, sending to House

Senate Greenlights Trump-Supported Budget Bill: Key Steps Before House Approval

The legislative measure will now proceed to the House, which is not…
Elena Rybakina wins Australian Open by beating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for her 2nd Grand Slam title

Elena Rybakina Claims Second Grand Slam Title with Australian Open Victory Over Top-Ranked Aryna Sabalenka

By JOHN PYE MELBOURNE, Australia — Elena Rybakina emerged triumphant at the…
Exclusive—Fred Fleitz: We Must Stop China from Stealing Our Military Secrets

Exclusive: Fred Fleitz Calls for Urgent Action to Prevent China’s Acquisition of U.S. Military Secrets

In the wake of the Trump administration’s successful operation to detain Venezuelan…
Texas A&M moves to end Women’s and Gender Studies degree program

Texas A&M Plans to Discontinue Women’s and Gender Studies Degree Program

Texas A&M University has decided to discontinue its Women’s and Gender Studies…
State Department issues security alert amid 'heavy gunfire' near US Embassy in Haiti

State Department Releases Security Alert Following Intense Gunfire Near US Embassy in Haiti

The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, issued a warning on Saturday to…
Mayor Brandon Johnson signs executive order, directs Chicago police to investigate alleged illegal activity by ICE, federal agents

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Orders Investigation into ICE and Federal Agents by Local Police

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has initiated a decisive measure in anticipation of…