3 min read
The Velvet Sundown, Spotify’s mysterious breakout band, shocked the music industry by gaining over 400,000 monthly listeners in just a few weeks after their debut. But the group’s generic sound, extremely polished images, and complete lack of internet history soon led to rumors that it wasn’t real. The Velvet Sundown has finally been proven to be an AI-generated creation, despite growing skepticism and curiosity. Over the weekend, a statement was posted on the band’s Spotify profile acknowledging that generative AI was used to create the band’s identity, music, and images under human creative guidance. This discovery has sparked a wider discussion about AI’s place in music and what authenticity means in a time when machines can effectively mimic music.
AI Identity Confirmed by the Band
The band’s lifelike images, generic sound, and small digital footprint raised questions. Recently, such suspicions were verified. The Velvet Sundown acknowledged its AI-driven concept and roots in a message placed on its Spotify profile over the weekend.
The group was described as a “synthetic music project” shaped by human direction and executed using generative AI technology. Its creators clarified that all music, visuals, and lyrics were generated using AI tools but guided by artistic vision. They insisted the project was not a trick but an artistic reflection exploring identity and authorship in the AI age.
The message made clear that any resemblance to any actual person or event was accidental and not the intention of the project’s designers. The band was described as “not quite human, not quite machine” in a final statement, signifying its mixed creative basis.
Identity Drama and Public Reaction
Someone using the name “Andrew Frelon” claimed responsibility for the song and labeled it a fraud just before the admission. According to him, the songs were created as an experiment on Spotify using Suno, an AI music technology. However, The Velvet Sundown quickly refuted any connection to Frelon, calling his assertions untrue and illegal.
In a strange turn of events, Frelon then withdrew his earlier claim, acknowledging that he had deceived the media and invented his role. Later, the identical Spotify warning reappeared, reiterating that the project was AI-driven and rejecting external connections. Strong reactions were given by critics. An Instagram user claimed that the band’s AI was unaccountably taking real artists’ identities.
Despite the controversy, The Velvet Sundown has spotlighted how AI can convincingly simulate musical artists and build full identities. As generative AI advances, recognizing genuine creativity may become increasingly challenging, though staging a live tour remains a formidable task.
