Ghostwriter Song With A.I.-Generated Drake & The Weeknd Voices Would Be Eligible For Grammys – Report
“Heart On My Sleeve,” the hit viral song that uses A.I. to replicate the voices of Drake and The Weeknd, would be Grammy-eligible for Song of the Year and Best Rap Song.
The New York Times is reporting that Harvey Mason Jr., the chief executive of the Recording Academy, says the pseudonymous musician known only as Ghostwriter would be “absolutely eligible” for Song of the Year and Best Rap Song for “Heart On My Sleeve.”
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“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,” Mason said in an interview with The Times. “When you start seeing AI 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?'”
The song has grown in popularity since April, and its eligibility for a Grammy or two might come as a surprise given the Academy’s recent announcement that “Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a Grammy Award. A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any Category.”
The Times report reveals that the “shadowy” Ghostwriter and its team have met with music industry leaders including record labels and platforms and even attended a meeting organized by the Academy. Ghostwriter appeared in-person at the meeting, dressed in character as a white-sheet ghost with sunglasses and using a voice-distorting device.
Earlier this week, Ghostwriter released a new song called “Whiplash” on social media, using A.I.-generated soundalikes for rappers Travis Scott and 21 Savage.
“I used AI to make a Travis Scott song feat. 21 Savage,” Ghostwriter said in the written message accompanying the new song on X/Twitter, adding, “the future of music is here. Who wants next?”
In the months since Ghostwriter first posted “Heart On My Sleeve,” he has since posted cryptic social-media messages such as “can’t kill a ghost” and “without songwriters there are no songs.”
I used AI to make a Travis Scott song feat. 21 Savage… the future of music is here. Who wants next? pic.twitter.com/jFKLTzyzeT
— ghostwriter977 (@imghostwrit3r) September 5, 2023
hi im ghostwriter. #drake #aivoice #theweeknd #ai #aidrake #theweekndai pic.twitter.com/lUUAHC1Xw8
— ghostwriter977 (@imghostwrit3r) April 16, 2023
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