FEATURE:
God Only Knows
IN THIS PHOTO: The Beach Boys during the Pet Sounds photoshoot by George Jerman at San Diego Zoo, California, in February 1966/PHOTO CREDIT: Capitol Photo Archives
The Benefits and Negatives of AI-Created Musical Mashups
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IT seems to be the weekly news thing…
PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio via Pexels
where we hear of another AI-created song. Artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent and notable. Previously, I used to associate it with something in science or science fiction. I know it has been part of music for a while, but it has never had this sort of attention and dominance. Now, one can create tracks with other artists featuring on them. You can take a classic song and then have another singer providing the vocals – without them having to do anything. I admit that the technology is clever and impressive, but is it a little creepy and pointless? I will explore that more. As I say, there are these weekly reports of a new song coming about where it has been mashed up, so that the original artist is either performing alongside someone else, or another famous artist is singing it. As NME recently reported, The Beach Boys’ most beautiful and beloved song has seen The Beatles’ Paul McCartney and John Lennon singing together. The majestic God Only Knows has been given the AI treatment:
“Over recent months, music lovers have been using AI methods to create “new music” and collaborations with their favourite artists, including The Weeknd, Drake, Kanye West and more. However, one of the latest projects shared shows that fans can also bring some of their nostalgic favourites back to life, and create new versions of iconic 1960s tracks.
One of the most recent covers, shared last month, shows just that — depicting the iconic 1966 Beach Boys track, ‘God Only Knows’ being played in the style of The Beatles.
Starting with AI-generated vocals, the track also features a dreamy duet with Paul McCartney and John Lennon, as well as backing harmonies from drummer Ringo Starr and an a cappella ending. Check out the track below.
While the creator of the video doesn’t offer much explanation into what inspired the project or what tools he used to develop the track, McCartney has previously described the song as “one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it”.
“It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian [Wilson],” he said (via Far Out).
IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles photographed during a press conference in New York on 6th August, 1966/PHOTO CREDIT: Santi Visalli/Getty Images
While AI-generated mashups can often be conceived as controversial by fans, The Beatles and Beach Boys collaboration has received mostly positive reactions online. At the time of writing, the video has over 1,100 likes on YouTube, versus just 10 “thumbs-down” reactions.
“Paul and John are finally reconciled in the chorus, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve heard. Thank you,” wrote one fan in the comments, while another added: “This is incredible. I have dreamed of hearing Paul sing this for my whole life. Amazing.”
Last month, an AI-generated “lost” Oasis album also emerged online and also received a wave of praise from fans online. The project — which imagined how Oasis would sound if they reformed and created music reminiscent of their ‘90s heyday — also gained recognition from the former frontman, Liam Gallagher, who described it as “mega” and “better than all the other snizzle out there.”
Earlier this week, however, fans had a less than optimistic view towards another AI project, which saw Kurt Cobain performing the 1998 Hole song, ‘Celebrity Skin’.
While it was labelled as nothing more than an “elaborate mashup” by the creator, fans were quick to criticise the project and call it out as being inappropriate.
“Call it what you want, but this is copyright infringement, totally distasteful, poorly executed, and subtextual misogyny that panders to bigoted whisperings that Kurt wrote [Courtney Love Cobain’s] hits,” wrote one person on Twitter. “Let them both rest.”
Bad Seeds frontman Nick Cave also shared his lack of support for songwriting using artificial intelligence earlier this year — labelling it as “a grotesque mockery of what it is to be human”. He also commented on the issue later, explaining that he wished AI programmes such as ChatGPT would “fuck off and leave songwriting alone”.
Whilst I do like the idea of not having to imagine what it would sound like it McCartney and Lennon sung God Only Knows, there is that thing about taking control away. Artists almost forced to perform that song. Maybe it does take something away from the original. If the AI songs and albums are not really superior to the originals or they lose that genuine, human element, it is interesting technology none the less. In years gone, there is often discussion as to what it would be like it another artist covered a song. Maybe someone no longer with us. If a band like The Beatles took on The Beach Boys’ stunning material. I would like to imagine what a new Radiohead album would sound like with AI’s intervention. It would be neat to think about, say, a new Beastie Boys track. Whilst that can happen, you have to ask how far it will go. As I say, the AI-produced music is not advanced enough so that you can replace the human voice. That said, we need to be cautious about its rise and impact. It is machine-driven, so you do not get the emotions, nuances and spontaneities that the human voice can produce. It is fallible and restricted in that sense. Fans will always prefer music that is created by real artists! I do wonder whether we will get a series of albums released that you could buy that are created by AI. Maybe deceased artists being ‘brought back to life’ by AI.
We bring artists back through holograms. People actually go and watch concerts of departed artists who now are on the stage in this hologram form. Maybe that is a little weird and unsettling, but it does at least show that you can push the boundaries of what a live music concert is. It is that issue of respect and whether an estate or artists would ever want that. In terms of the new slew of AI songs and albums, how many of the artists approached have given consent?! Even if fans like the songs that are posted, how about those who made the music?! I hope we do not get to a time when people are drawn to the AI versions of songs rather than the original! It is wonderful that we have technology that can mashup and give us these possibilities. It is causing no harm right now to the industry and, if these AI-produced songs are getting a lot of buzz, they will never take the place of actual musicians. The quality of these AI songs are hit and miss. The ‘lost’ Oasis album is pretty weak. Even if the God Only Knows with Macca and Lennon in the chorus is quite emotional and cool, the original is far far superior! I have not really heard anything by AI that either surpasses the original song or is seen as needed. No situation where I have thought that AI has improved something. That being said, as the technology becomes more advanced and talked about, will it start delivering albums that are actually pretty decent?
I am not sure what other music fans think, because artists who have spoken out are divided. There are those – such as Nick Cave and Peter Gabriel – who have provided warning and profanity towards something seen as both dangerous and completely unnecessary. In an industry thriving because of its multitudinous and variegated music, do we need AI at all? Grimes has given her blessing, so you wonder whether we might see a day when her back catalogue is mashed up. Either that, or we get an AI Grimes releasing music from now on. I think, it was Massive Attack that said one reason why AI exists and is seen as so spooky is because modern music is homogeneous and boring. If machines can fool people because it is so close to the original, then is music quite anodyne and repetitious? Have we lost the sort of invention and originality that we had years ago? I don’t think that is true. Maybe some of the Pop mainstream is becoming samey and predictable, but the industry is so vast that you cannot call it all boring, predictable or lacking in originality. As I write this, I know that somewhere another mashup is being created. There will be no stopping it. If there is a certain impressiveness about AI’s ability to do this, I struggle to see the value and purpose of it all! If it realises dreams and what-ifs of fans, I think that there are more artists than not who would prefer AI to scale back and stay away. Even if these mashups and new albums from AI will never really sustain and replace music as we know it, I suppose there are various songs and moments that take you by surprise in a good way. A new version of The Beach Boys’ classic features band members they were in friendly competition with in the 1960s. Maybe this AI-generated song has won some people over, but it seems to be the best of a rather shaky bunch. When will all of this stop?! Will it stop?! When it comes to that question…
GOD only knows!