Music
Feature
We asked an AI copywriter to write the next No.1 hit single
Nick Cave, Harry Styles, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have nothing to worry about. Yet.
In a world where technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, one area of particular interest and innovation is the field of language processing. ChatGPT, which stands for “Conversational Generative Pre-training Transformer,” is a machine learning model that has been trained on a massive dataset of text, allowing it to understand and generate human-like languages. The model can perform a wide range of language tasks, such as answering questions, summarizing text, and even writing creative content, such as poetry and stories.
One of the most impressive things about ChatGPT is its ability to generate text that is almost indistinguishable from that written by a human.
Except, of course, that’s complete nonsense. The above two paragraphs were written by a robot that was asked to “write a news story about ChatGPT”, and the rest of this article was written by a real human being who (hopefully) understands empathy and emotion, and who won’t one day send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in time to wipe us all out.
AI is terrifying everyone at the moment since an explosion of open-source software has made it possible for writers, illustrators and artists to glimpse a possible future where they don’t exist. Thankfully, the technology still has a very long way to go. When someone asked ChatGPT to “write a song in the style of Nick Cave” this week, Cave decided to respond.
“I understand that ChatGPT is in its infancy but perhaps that is the emerging horror of AI – that it will forever be in its infancy, as it will always have further to go, and the direction is always forward, always faster,” Cave wrote on The Red Hand Files site. “It can never be rolled back, or slowed down, as it moves us toward a utopian future, maybe, or our total destruction. Who can possibly say which? Judging by this song ‘in the style of Nick Cave’ though, it doesn’t look good. The apocalypse is well on its way. This song sucks.”
And he’s not wrong. Scrambling lyrics from his back catalogue into a mulch of cliches, the best the bot was able to do was create a word cloud of common themes and paste them into semi-rhyming stanzas that vaguely resembled a song. “So come with me, to the edge of the night / Where the darkness and the light collide / We’ll walk the line, between the good and the bad / And we’ll see, who comes out on top in the end.”
But it’s not the worst. We asked ChatGPT to write new songs for some of the biggest (real) artists around and none of them need to worry just yet…
Beyoncé
Because nothing says empowerment like putting your own name into every line.
I’m a queen, I’m a boss I’m the one in charge
I’m a force to be reckoned with
I’m in control, I’m in charge
I am Beyoncé, and I run the world
I am Beyoncé, and I’m on top of the world
I am Beyoncé, and I’m unstoppable
I am Beyoncé, and nothing can hold me down
I’m a warrior, I’m a fighter I’m a conqueror,
I’m a winner, I’m a powerhouse,
I’m a leader, I’m a role model, I’m a diva
I am Beyoncé, and I run the world
I am Beyoncé, and I’m on top of the world
I am Beyoncé, and I’m unstoppable
I am Beyoncé, and nothing can hold me down
I am a woman, and I am strong
I am a woman, and I can do no wrong
I am a woman, and I will not back down
I am a woman, and I will wear the crown
I am Beyonce, and I am the queen.
Bob Dylan
According to ChatGPT, the one thing that makes Dylan’s Pulitzer- and Nobel Prize-winning songwriting unique, is… wind.
The wind is howlin’ through the streets
Echoes of a time long gone
A voice in the darkness, so hard to beat
A song that carries on and on
Blowin’ in the wind, the answers they all seem
To blowin’ in the wind, but nobody really knows
The road is long and hard to tread
With shadows fallin’ all around
But I’ll keep walkin’ till the end
With the weight of the world on my shoulders
Beastie Boys
To be fair that’s a pretty awesome chorus.
In the city that never sleeps
We’re the kings of the street
With our Adidas on our feet
And a mic in our hand, we can’t be beat
We’re the Beastie Boys, we’re the best
We’re the Beastie Boys, we’re the best
We’re the Beastie Boys, we’re the best
We’re the Beastie Boys, we’re the best
We’re the ones that bring the noise
With our rhymes and our flow
We’re the ones that bring the joy
We’re the ones that make the crowd go
Harry Styles
AI Harry sounds a lot less progressive when it comes to relationships, singing here about “chasing” someone down until “the stars fall from the sky” (which can surely only be a coded message about the coming robot apocalypse).
I saw you there, in the crowd
You caught my eye, stood out so loud
I knew right then, you were the one
I had to make you mine, had to get it done
Cause darling, you’re the one that I want
The one that I need, the one that I love
I’ll chase you down, chase you down
Till the stars fall from the sky above
You’re my heart, my soul, my everything
With you by my side, I can do anything
I’ll be your rock, your shelter, your guide
Together, we’ll make it through the darkest tide
I’ll be your king, you’ll be my queen
We’ll rule this love, like it’s a scene
I’ll hold you close, never let you go
Cause darling, you’re the one that I know
Red Hot Chili Peppers
If there’s one thing we all know the Chilis love, it’s being Californications.
I got the rhythm in my feet
Got the music in my soul
I’m gonna let it out, gonna make it whole
Gonna live my life, like I’m on a roll
Cause I’m a Californication
Living my life, with no hesitation
I’m a Californication
I’ll do it my way, with no imitation
I got the sun in my eyes
Got the wind in my hair
I’m gonna chase my dreams,
gonna take a dare
Gonna make my mark,
gonna show I care
Cause I’m a Californication
Living my life, with no hesitation
I’m a Californication
I’ll do it my way, with no imitation
Adele
A loss so deep that Adele wants to keep it… “in her bones”.
When the rain starts to fall
And the darkness descends
My heart is heavy
And my thoughts are a mess
But I know I’ll be okay
With the memories we made
I’ll hold on to the love
That we shared yesterday
The tears that I cry
Are a reflection of you
The pain that I feel
Is a reminder of truth
And though you’re gone
And I’m left all alone
I’ll keep you close
In my heart and in my bones
Arctic Monkeys
Look away now if you’re from the small town of Sheffield.
I’m standing on the edge of town
Where the streets are empty and the lights are down
I’ve got my guitar in my hand
And a feeling like I’m in a different land
Cause I’m just a small town boy
Trying to make a name
In this big old world
But I’ll never be the same
I’ve got a restless heart
And a mind that never stops
I’ve got a hunger for something more
But I don’t know what I’ve got
Pulp
What’s a synonym for “Common People”? “Common person”? “Common human”?
I’m standing on the platform
Watching the trains go by
I’ve got my ticket in my hand
But I don’t know where I’ll fly
Cause I’m just a common man
Trying to make my way
In this concrete jungle
But it’s just another day
I’ve got my dreams and my ambition
But it’s hard to break free
I’ve got my hopes and my desires
But they’re buried deep
Cause I’m just a common man
Trying to make my way
In this concrete jungle
But it’s just another day
Kanye West
Okay the crown bit sounds fine, but what exactly is Ye sitting on here and how can we get those images out of our head?
I’m the king of this game, ain’t no one gonna knock me off
Got a crown on my head, and a throne that’s white and soft
I’m the one they all want, but they can’t have me
I’m too busy making hits, can’t you see?
I’m on top of the world, ain’t no one gonna bring me down
I’m the one and only, gonna wear the crown
I’m the king of the game, and I’m here to stay
I’m the one and only, Kanye
I’m the one that they call, when they need a hit
I’m the one that they all wanna be like a bit
I’m the one that’s got the flow, that’s so damn tight
I’m the one that’s got the style, that’s out of sight
I’m on top of the world, ain’t no one gonna bring me down
I’m the one and only, gonna wear the crown
I’m the king of the game, and I’m here to stay
I’m the one and only, Kanye
Iron Maiden
According to ChatGPT, no song is worth listening to unless it’s all about crowns. Also all the best bands sing about themselves in the first person.
Riding on the wings of the night
With a power that’s pure and bright
We fly through the dark and the cold
With a fire in our hearts, we’ll never grow old
We are Iron Maiden, we are one
With a sound that’s loud and a spirit that’s strong
We’ll take the stage, and we’ll play all night
We are Iron Maiden, we’ll never lose the fight
We’ll ride through the storm, we’ll never back down
With a force that’s fierce, we’ll wear the crown
We’ll take on the world, we’ll never be denied
With a power that’s pure, we’ll never be denied
Lizzo
Five things robo-Lizzo has: confidence, curves, love, power and CROWNS.
I’m feeling good as hell, ain’t no one gonna bring me down
Got my head held high, wearing my crown
I’m the one that’s got the flow, that’s so damn tight
I’m the one that’s got the style, that’s out of sight
I’m Lizzo, and I’m here to stay
I’m the one that’s got the game on lock,
ain’t no one gonna make me sway
I’m feeling good as hell, and I’m running things
I’m Lizzo, and I’ll always reign
I’m the one that’s got the confidence, that’s so damn fly
I’m the one that’s got the curves, that’s out of sight
I’m the one that’s got the love, that’s so damn true
I’m the one that’s got the power, to make it through
I’ll sing my heart out, and I’ll dance my ass off
I’ll love myself, and I’ll never stop
I’ll show the world, that I’m more than enough
I’m Lizzo, and I’m gonna rise up
Bruce Springsteen
Here’s hoping for a T-shirt on sale at BST Hyde Park that reads “I’m Bruce Springsteen, Boss of this town”.
Out on the streets, where the neon lights shine
I’m walking on the wild side, it’s a state of mind
I’m chasing my dreams, with a fire in my heart
I’m a working man, tearing life apart
I’m Bruce Springsteen, the Boss of this town
I’m singing my story, with the words pouring out
I’m playing my guitar, and I’m singing my song
I’m Bruce Springsteen, and I’ll never back down
I’ve been on the road, for miles and miles
I’ve seen the good times, and the tears and the trials
I’ve got scars on my hands, and stories to tell
I’m a man of the people, I’m living my hell
I’m Bruce Springsteen, the Boss of this town
I’m singing my story, with the words pouring out
I’m playing my guitar, and I’m singing my song
I’m Bruce Springsteen, and I’ll never back down
I’m a son of the working class, fighting for what’s right
I’m a voice for the silenced, I’m shining a light
I’m singing for the people, with all of my might
I’m Bruce Springsteen, and I’ll never lose sight
Stormzy
The crown, apparently, is in Stormzy’s possession. Lizzo, Kanye and Harry Styles might have something to say about that…
I’m from the ends where the violence extends
And the pain never ends, but I rise like a phoenix
I spit fire like a dragon, my flow is relentless
I’m the king of grime, the crown is my possession
Cause I’m Stormzy, the one and only
I’m making moves, stacking up the money
I’m on top, ain’t no one gonna stop me
I’m living my dreams, so believe me
I came from nothing, but now I’m something
I’m the voice of the streets, and I’m singing
My lyrics cut deep, they’re the truth
I’m the one they all look up to
Taylor Swift
Hear that Big Machine Records? Taylor will be the one to make her own beat.
I’m standing here with my broken heart
Picking up the pieces, trying to make a new start
I gave you everything, but you didn’t see
That all I ever wanted was to be loved by you and me
But now I’m moving on, I’m leaving you behind
I’m finding my own way, I’m gonna shine
I’m Taylor Swift, and I’m not afraid
To stand up for myself, and to sing my own anthem
I’ve been down this road before, but I’m not gonna take it
I’m gonna write my own story, I’m gonna make it
I’ll be the one in the driver’s seat
I’ll be the one to make my own beat
Cause now I’m moving on, I’m leaving you behind
I’m finding my own way, I’m gonna shine
I’m Taylor Swift, and I’m not afraid
To stand up for myself, and to sing my own anthem
