Spain set record for first music album to be created entirely with AI
The artificial intelligence revolution never ceases to amaze us. Nowadays it seems it's possible to do almost anything with this technology, but there are still fields in which, although developers have been busy for years, are yet to be fully implemented in society.
One of these is music. Electronic songs have been using digitally created sounds for decades. Although there have been numerous tests and all kinds of experiments, the first singer created by artificial intelligence has not yet been verified.
Last month Spotify released songs with two AI-generated voices in a first for the streaming platform. The music was made by Spanish artist Pedro Sandoval, a pioneer in the use of this technique in art, film and now music.**
The singers are called ZKY-18 and Dirty Marilyn and, even though the sound of their song is reminiscent of many in the electronic genre, their voices are so real that they could perfectly match those of any singer currently recording. It's perhaps not surprising, because it's something they've been working on over the past three years.
"Together with Luis Miguel Martinez and Felipe Sandoval, I have created the first two digital voices using artificial intelligence," says Pedro Sandoval, who was one of thefirst visual artists to apply this technique to his work. "They are the first to be verified by Spotify as the first voices created with artificial intelligence," he adds.
On this platform you can already listen to songs like 'Con mi mate llegó el sabor', 'La chica en la parada', 'El beso de la mujer araña', 'Chulapo de Madrid' or 'Buscando oro en tu corazón'. These are the first songs that the platform has certified and that have been developed in Spain.
Pedro Sandoval organised a big event last Saturday in Madrid where he officially presented the albums to international guests and personalities from the world of music and technology.
Pedro Sandoval is an internationally renowned artist, renowned for his innovation in contemporary art and his pioneering use of artificial intelligence as a creative tool. He was born in Venezuela and his talent was evident from childhood, when at the age of six he won the Young Master of the World award in Japan.
At the age of 13, he won a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship that allowed him to move to New York and study at Parsons School of Design. Throughout his career, he has exhibited his work in prestigious museums and galleries around the world, establishing himself as one of the most influential figures in art today.
Sandoval has been a staunch defender of artificial intelligence in the artistic field, considering it a tool that, when used well, allows for the expansion of creative possibilities without substituting the essence of the artist. Speaking to Euronews, he explains that the value of a work created with AI "depends on the instructions and refinement that the artist applies to the process".
In addition to his contribution to digital art, Pedro Sandoval emphasises the importance of cultural education for new generations. He considers it fundamental to rescue the artistic and historical legacy to prevent society from focusing solely on ephemeral trends.
He learned from figures such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, which has allowed him to fuse tradition with innovation, positioning himself as one of the most relevant voices in the debate on the future of art.
Celebrated US rock band Semisonic, who found international fame with the release of their second album 'Feeling Strangely Fine' in 1998, is pushing back at the White House for using their Grammy-nominated hit song 'Closing Time' off the same album over a social media post that shows a shackled deportee.
The White House added the song in a post of a man with his wrists handcuffed to his waist as he is patted down at an airport.
The video was captioned with the song's lyrics: 'You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.'
'We did not authorize or condone the White House's use of our song in any way. And no, they didn't ask. The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely,' the band posted on X.
Asked about the post Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said 'our entire government clearly is leaning into the message of this president.'
US Customs and Border Protection retweeted the White House's post on X with the caption 'It's closing time. We are making America safe again.'
The Trump administration shared the video two days after hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members were controversially deported by the White House to a supermax prison in El Salvador.
US District Judge James E Boasberg had issued an order temporarily blocking the deportations on Saturday, but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air.
Semisonic joins a long list of musicians who have objected to Trump's authorized use of their songs. These include ABBA, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Neil Young, R.E.M., Guns N' Roses, Woodkid and Beyoncé.
Sinead O'Connor's estate previously issued Trump with cease-and-desist orders, while Isaac Hayes' estate sued him for 134 counts of copywright infringement.
Céline Dion also condemned the use of her song from the Oscar-winning film Titanic, 'My Heart Will Go On', which was used at one of Trump's rallies. Dion's team questioned the song choice, writing: "And really, THAT song?'
Another band which added their name to the ever-growing list of artists who have sued Trump over the illegal use of their songs in campaign videos was The White Stripes. Last year, the rock band highlighted the 'flagrant misappropriation' of their hit song 'Seven Nation Army'. Jack White captioned a copy of the legal complaint in an Instagram post with: 'This machine sues fascists.'
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