Instagram: Xania MonetAn AI musician has reportedly signed a multi-million dollar record deal, with one label apparently offering $3 million for her.
Plenty of musicians have hidden behind masks and fake identities in the past, but the rise of AI has created problems for musicians and fans alike. Brand-new bands have been going viral on Spotify and having their songs flagged as AI-generated, while deceased musicians have had AI songs uploaded onto their pages.
In the case of Xania Monet, she is the AI project of a poet, Talisha Jones, from Mississippi. As per Billboard, Jones has used artificial intelligence to “craft” Monet’s image and created music using Suno, the controversial AI music program.
The AI artist has since signed a record deal with Hallwood Media. This, according to Billboard, is “a multimillion-dollar agreement,” and sources claim that Monet had offers of up to $3 million on the table, too. Her music has already hit the Billboard charts, and Monet has close to 465,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Romel Murphy, who manages Jones and her AI project, told Billboard that “this is real music — it’s real R&B. There’s an artist behind it.”
The music marketer said that “90%” of her lyrics are her own, with the othe 10% being inspired by friends and her communities.
Murphy is reportedly planning a debut live performance for the AI artist, while they are also looking at offers to publish her music.
Live performances from artificial characters aren’t anything new. VTubers like Kizuna Ai, Nana Asteria, and Mori Calliope have all performed live in recent years, and thats before even mentioning a band like Gorillaz. Calliope even signed with Universal Music too.
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These VTuber shows have been massive in Japan, especially, but have also started becoming increasingly popular in the United States.
Virtual bands and artists will always find a way to perform for fans, whether on a small or big scale. So, it’ll be interesting to see what is in the works for Monet.