AI Takes Center Stage in Country Music
AI-generated music has gained significant traction, as evidenced by the recent rise of a song by an AI artist that has achieved the number one spot on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart.
Introducing Breaking Rust
Breaking Rust, an AI “band” that emerged in mid-October mainly via its social media presence, recently reached the top of the chart with a track called Walk My Walk. A look at their social media reveals no indication of human involvement in the music creation process, featuring instead a striking AI-generated cowboy and video clips of everyday folk engaging in simple activities. The songs themselves bear an uncanny resemblance to each other, characterized by uninspired lyrics and repetitive themes.
Are They Just Another Bro Country Band?
Listeners might notice that Breaking Rust sounds like many other “bro country” bands that have dominated the genre over the past decade, often singing interchangeable songs about trucks, beer, and attractive women. Billboard confirmed that Breaking Rust is classified as an AI music project, stating that it debuted at No. 9 on the Emerging Artists chart, attributed to songwriter Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor, who has garnered over 1.6 million official U.S. streams.
Mystery Surrounding the Creator
Taylor has a limited online presence, appearing primarily in relation to Breaking Rust and another project called Defbeatsai. It’s unclear if he is even a real person, adding another layer of intrigue to the project.
Rising Popularity
Breaking Rust has experienced notable success, with Walk My Walk streamed over three million times and another track, Livin’ On Borrowed Time, reaching over 4.1 million streams on Spotify. The band reportedly has over two million monthly listeners, many of whom appear unaware that they are engaging with AI-generated music.
The Debate Over AI in Music
This trend raises concerns as music labels and industry groups have initiated lawsuits against AI startups for training algorithms on actual songs, resulting in outputs that closely resemble original compositions. As these AI-generated songs gain traction in the charts, the implications for human musicians become increasingly troubling, on display when an AI project can reach number one, even on smaller charts.
Call for Action
With the rise of AI in the music industry eliciting concerns from creators across various mediums, it’s evident that the emergence of an AI band like Breaking Rust is a significant event that merits deeper scrutiny and discussion regarding the value and future of artistic expression.
