In April of 2023 anonymous artist, and TikTok user, Ghostwriter went viral with their A.I.-generated track “Heart on My Sleeve,” which replicates the vocals of Drake and The Weeknd. The song has now been submitted for consideration, and is eligible, for a Grammy award in 2024.
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“Heart on My Sleeve” was submitted for Best Rap Song and Song of the Year, and is eligible, despite the use of A.I. technology, since it was written by a human. “As far as the creative side,” said Harvey Mason, Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, “it’s absolutely eligible because it was written by a human.”
Ghostwriter used a distorted voice to veil their identity during a recent virtual roundtable with the Recording Academy to discuss the use of A.I. in their songs.
“I knew right away as soon as I heard that record that it was going to be something that we had to grapple with from an Academy standpoint, but also from a music community and industry standpoint,” said Mason. “When you start seeing A.I. involved in something so creative and so cool, relevant and of-the-moment, it immediately starts you thinking, ‘OK, where is this going? How is this going to affect creativity? What’s the business implication for monetization?’”
[RELATED: AI-Generated Drake and The Weeknd Song Blocked from Streaming Platforms]
First released on April 15, the AI-manufactured song garnered millions of views across numerous platforms, including Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, TIDAL, and Deezer, before being removed. In a statement, Universal Music Group said the viral song streamings “demonstrate why platforms have a fundamental legal and ethical responsibility to prevent the use of their services in ways that harm artists.”
The song features Drake singing about The Weeknd’s ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez. The Weeknd’s “voice” later adds something on Gomez with Got these pearls on my neck / Got these girls on my track like Selena baby / Imma cheat oh maybe.
In July of 2023, the Recording Academy revealed its protocols for Artificial Intelligence. “Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a Grammy Award,” said the Academy. “A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category. The Academy may disqualify any entry in a particular category if it determines, in the Academy’s sole discretion, that such entry does not incorporate meaningful and more than de minimis human authorship that is relevant to such category. [The Academy offered a definition of that term: “De minimis is defined as lacking significance or importance, so minor as to merit disregard.”]
On Tuesday (September 5), Ghostwriter released a new A.I.-generated song, “Whiplash,” which mimics the vocals of 21 Savage and Travis Scott.
Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage
