The Phenomenon of The Velvet Sundown: A Completely AI-Generated Band

The secret is out: a new musical sensation on Spotify, The Velvet Sundown, is entirely generated by artificial intelligence, confirming widespread suspicions.

Who—or What—Are The Velvet Sundown?

The Velvet Sundown is a newly emerged musical act that has rapidly gained popularity on Spotify, accumulating an astounding one million monthly listeners within a short period. This remarkable achievement is particularly noteworthy given their musical style: a blend of generic psych-rock and folk-rock, which, while not bad, isn’t exceptionally groundbreaking.

Their unexpected rise to fame has led to intense scrutiny, ultimately confirming the band’s entirely AI-generated nature.

The Velvet Sundown’s AI Origins: A Confirmation of Suspicions

Recent updates to The Velvet Sundown’s Spotify artist information page confirm what many had long suspected. The AI-generated band is presented as an artistic experiment, designed to challenge concepts of authorship, identity, and the future of music within the context of AI.

The signs of AI creation were readily apparent. The band’s images possess a distinct, artificially generated aesthetic, despite attempts at editing and refinement. Even with these touch-ups, those familiar with AI image generation would recognize the telltale signs: consistent textures, a yellowish sepia tone, and an uncanny, almost overly perfect appearance.

Furthermore, the band members’ appearance varies slightly across different photographs, mirroring the inconsistencies in the lead singer’s voice across various tracks.

The band’s sudden emergence and rapid output—two full studio albums, with a third on the horizon—are also unusual, especially considering their perceived quality. The speed of production is unprecedented in the music industry.

The Enduring Impact of The Velvet Sundown and AI Music

Despite the revelation of its AI origins, The Velvet Sundown’s musical output is set to continue. The band’s popularity is intriguing for several reasons. Their music is inoffensive and unchallenging, appealing to a wide audience through its familiar 1970s psych/folk rock sound.

Their lyrics are also simple and easily remembered. Their most popular song, “Dust on the Wind,” exemplifies this approachability. While vague, containing national pride and military themes, the lyrics remain inoffensive and create a soothing, familiar soundscape.

However, suspicions remain regarding the use of Spotify listening bots to artificially inflate the band’s statistics, potentially boosting its placement on lucrative playlists. This raises concerns about the manipulation of streaming metrics.

The increasing presence of AI-generated music on Spotify, as exemplified by other AI artists such as Aventhis, suggests a broader trend. Spotify is actively promoting AI music, currently without providing users an opt-out option.

A Turning Point for Music Discovery

The Velvet Sundown’s success represents a critical turning point. The ability of an AI-generated band to amass millions of streams and appear on curated playlists challenges the prospects of emerging human artists.

This situation highlights the need for greater transparency. Should platforms like Spotify clearly label AI-generated content? Will listeners even care about the origin of the music when the quality is indistinguishable from that of human artists? This is not a passing fad; it’s a significant development shaping the future of music.