Written by John Mendelsohn
Videos by American Songwriter
Using AI, an unknown social media user created a mashup of Bad Bunny and Rihanna that he named “Por Qué.” The song is said to be from the same person behind the Drake and The Weeknd mash-up “Heart On My Sleeve,” which was also created using AI software.
[RELATED: AI-Generated Drake and The Weeknd Song Blocked from Streaming Platforms]
“Por Qué” was uploaded to SoundCloud, YouTube, and TikTok by an identified person who goes under the username Ghostwrider777. “Heart On My Sleeve” was uploaded by a slightly different version of the same username, Ghostwriter977. “Por Qué” avoided all mainstream music streaming services, especially since “Heart On My Sleeve” was subjected to multiple takedown notices when it was released last month.
Music Created With AI
A one-minute and seven-second video posted to TikTok depicts a man disguised in a white sheet, ski goggles, gloves, and a bucket hat, quietly listening to the song with his hands clasped together. The video is accompanied by the caption, “They tried to shut us down.” During the TikTok, text pops up on the screen that reads, “I used AI to make a Bad Bunny song ft. Rihanna… this video will be removed in 24 hours… they tried to quiet my brother, but we will prevail.”
RELATED: The FCC Received Over 100 Pages of Complaints About Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance
“Por Qué” features Rihanna singing the lyrics Baby you shine so bright/ Like diamonds in the sky/ I feel alive/ But now you got me thinkin’. A voice that sounds identical to Bad Bunny sings to a reggaeton beat throughout the song.
Before “Heart On My Sleeve” was removed from Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube for, according to Universal Music Group, “infringing content created with generative AI,” the song pulled in over one million views across multiple major streaming platforms. In a comment they made on the original youtube version of “Heart On My Sleeve,” Ghostwriter977 wrote, “This is just the beginning.” As it turns out, the creator of the AI-generated songs was telling the truth.
Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
