AI-Generated Country Artist Tops US Music Charts
For the first time in music history, a song entirely created by artificial intelligence has soared to the number one position on a major music chart. This week, a virtual country act named Breaking Rust secured the top spot on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart for the second consecutive week with its hit single, "Walk My Walk." The revelation that the singer behind the track's raspy vocals was not human sent shockwaves through the industry.
The Mysterious Rise of a Virtual Outlaw
The artist, Breaking Rust, boasts an impressive digital presence with over two million monthly listeners on Spotify and a catalogue of eight songs. All tracks are credited to the enigmatic Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor, a figure with no discernible human footprint beyond this project and another AI music venture called Defbeatsai. The San Francisco Chronicle first broke the story, highlighting the artist's entirely synthetic origins.
On social media, Breaking Rust cultivates an 'outlaw country' persona. Its Instagram page, followed by over 39,000 people, features AI-generated videos of men in cowboy hats performing atypical tasks like lifting weights and walking on highways. Similarly, its YouTube channel has amassed 22,000 subscribers.
Listeners have been quick to engage with the music, with many defending its artificial nature. "I’m sorry, I can’t help what I like. I LIKE THE SONG, NO MATTER WHO CREATED IT!" one fan exclaimed on YouTube. Another wrote on Instagram, "I don’t know if this is a real guy but his songs are seriously some of my favorite in life." Some comments even requested tour dates in Australia and London, seemingly unaware the artist is computer-generated.
Chart Mechanics and Industry Implications
While "Walk My Walk" is the most downloaded country song in America, it is not the most streamed. Artists like Morgan Wallen and Cody Johnson continue to lead the broader Hot Country Songs and streaming platform charts. Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart specifically measures paid digital downloads from stores like iTunes and AmazonMP3.
According to a Billboard bulletin from 6 October, the number one song on this chart sold approximately 3,000 copies. With "Walk My Walk" priced at $0.99, a coordinated effort could easily have propelled the song to its chart-topping position. Billboard itself has referred to Breaking Rust and another AI musician, Cain Walker, who also has multiple songs on the chart, as "virtual acts."
This controversy emerges as established artists, including Dua Lipa and Elton John, urge the music industry to establish safeguards concerning AI and copyright. The debate has parallels in Hollywood, where an AI-generated actor named Tilly Norwood has also sparked widespread criticism, signalling a pivotal moment for creative industries globally.
