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Kehlani has sounded off after she found out that an A.I. artist landed a record deal worth millions.
The artist in question goes by Xania Monet. The A.I.-generated artist is voiced by poet Telisha Jones, who used Suno technology to create the avatar and her own poetry to make songs. Jones was reportedly involved in a major bidding war among several notable record labels before she was offered $3 million for a deal from former Interscope executive Neil Jacobson’s Hallwood Media.
“There is an AI R&B artist who just signed a multimillion-dollar deal, and has a top 5 R&B album … and the person is doing none of the work,” Kehlani said in a TikTok video.
“I think you guys think that AI can just be the cover for something," she added. "Which some people can use, they can make an AI cover. AI can also make the entire fucking song. It can sing the entire song. It can make the entire beat…This is so beyond out of our control. Nothing and no one on Earth will ever be able to justify AI to me, especially not AI in the creative arts... I'm sorry I don't respect it."
Although Jones has been writing poetry for a long time, Xania Monet recently made an impact on the charts. Her song “How Was I Supposed to Know” reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard's R&B Digital Song Sales, No. 3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, and No. 22 on overall Digital Song Sales this past week, according to VIBE. Her other song "Let Go Let God" hit No. 21 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart. She's also sitting at No. 25 on the Emerging Artists chart. Monet recently dropped a seven-track EP and plans to drop an album on October 31.
Kehlani isn't the only artist to speak out against the growing use of AI in music. Young Guru has been a fierce opponent of the technology over the past few years. The veteran beatmaker began speaking out against AI after artificial verses by JAY-Z hit the Internet in 2023. Since then, he's voiced his opposition against AI to advocates like Timbaland, who recently signed the AI artist TaTa.
Check out Xania Monet's recent single "How Was I Supposed to Know” below and judge for yourself.