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
Erewhon and Function launch 'World's Healthiest Smoothie' with 160 lab tests to back it up

Erewhon and Function Collaborate to Introduce the ‘World’s Healthiest Smoothie,’ Backed by Extensive Lab Testing

Step aside, Hailey Bieber—there’s a new $25 must-have making waves at Erewhon,…
NYC man sets himself on fire during over-the-top lover's quarrel: sources

Shocking NYC Incident: Man Sets Himself Ablaze Amid Intense Lover’s Quarrel

A dramatic lovers’ spat in Washington Heights took a fiery turn early…
Zohran Mamdani to unveil $122B budget — fueled by proposed NYC property tax hike

Zohran Mamdani Set to Announce $122 Billion Budget, Driven by Proposed NYC Property Tax Increase

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is poised to introduce a groundbreaking $122 billion budget…
Confessed hitman in Jared Bridegan murder-for-hire case gets motion approved to withdraw guilty plea

Hitman in Jared Bridegan Case Allowed to Retract Guilty Plea in Murder-for-Hire Plot

Henry Tenon, 65, is poised to stand trial alongside two others—Shanna Gardner,…
Iran and US agree on 'guiding principles' of nuclear deal, Tehran says

Iran Announces Breakthrough Agreement with U.S. on Nuclear Deal Principles

WASHINGTON — American and Iranian officials have reached a consensus on “guiding…
Ex-Biden official tapped to lead Mamdani audit of sanctuary law violations at six city agencies, including NYPD

Former Biden Official Appointed to Oversee Mamdani Audit on Sanctuary Law Breaches Across Six NYC Agencies, Including NYPD

Former Biden administration aide, Bitta Mostofi, known for her advocacy against the…
RNC mocks 'Forget someone again??' after Dems’ Presidents Day post leaves out big name

RNC Criticizes Democrats for Omission of Key Figure in Presidents Day Post

The Democratic Party faced ridicule after omitting one of their most celebrated…
Sleeper shark caught swimming past camera for first time in Antarctica

Historic First: Sleeper Shark Captured on Camera in Antarctic Waters

Spotting a bulky shark gliding slowly over a desolate, deep-sea floor where…
Chicagoans remember Rev. Jesse Jackson as advocating for civil rights and social justice.

Chicago Honors Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Legacy in Civil Rights and Social Justice Advocacy

CHICAGO (WLS) — The passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson has prompted an…
Rhode Island ice rink shooting suspect's gender identity was source of past family conflict: docs

Documents Reveal Gender Identity as a Source of Family Tension for Rhode Island Ice Rink Shooting Suspect

A person suspected of fatally shooting two individuals at a Rhode Island…
US citizen sentenced to four years in Russian jail after trying to smuggle  Kalashnikov assault rifle stocks out of Moscow airport: reports

American Faces Four-Year Sentence in Russia for Attempted Kalashnikov Smuggling: Breaking News

A Russian court has handed down a four-year prison sentence to an…
AOC lampooned for claiming Venezuela is below equator — while trying to show off foreign policy chops

AOC’s Geographic Blunder: The Viral Venezuela Mishap That Sparked a Social Media Frenzy

WASHINGTON — Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York City faced widespread mockery…