Sienna Rose: Spotify's breakout star might be AI-generated
What's the story
Sienna Rose, an enigmatic singer-songwriter, has taken the music world by storm with her dusky, jazz-infused soul songs. Three of her tracks are currently in Spotify's Viral Top 50. The most popular one, Into the Blue, has been streamed over five million times. However, there is a catch: evidence suggests that she may be an AI-generated artist. Rose has no social media presence, has never performed live, and has released at least 45 tracks in three months!
AI detection
Many of her albums on the platform 'flagged' as computer-generated
Streaming service Deezer, which has developed tools to combat AI-generated music, told BBC that "many of her albums and songs on the platform are detected and flagged" as computer-generated. The lack of a social media presence, absence of live performances, and an unusually high number of song releases in a short period further indicate that Rose might be an AI artist.
Music analysis
'AI artifacts' and other signs of artificial creation
Listeners have also reported hearing "AI artifacts" in Rose's music. For instance, tracks like Under the Rain and Breathe Again feature a distinctive hiss sound, which is often found in music created using apps like Suno and Udio. This is due to these apps starting with white noise and gradually refining it into music, introducing detectable errors, reported the BBC.
Listener observations
Generic sound and inconsistent patterns raise suspicions
Other signs that have raised suspicions among listeners include inconsistent drum patterns, generic lyrics, and a singer who never deviates from the melody or delivers a powerful final chorus. One TikTok music critic said, "I was like, 'I like this,' but there was something that was very 'uncanny valley.' So I went to look [at her profile] and I was like, 'This is AI.'"
Fan reactions
Even Selena Gomez used her music
Despite the suspicions, many listeners have been captivated by Rose's music. Among them is pop star-actor Selena Gomez, who used Rose's track Where Your Warmth Begins as the background for an Instagram post about the Golden Globes. The song was later taken down after questions about Rose's identity surfaced online. Fans expressed disappointment when they learned she might not be a real person.
Financial aspect
Rose's music generates significant royalties
If Rose is indeed an AI-generated artist, the cost of creating her music would be minimal. Yet, it's estimated that her music generates around £2,000 in royalties per week. This financial success has been observed in other regions as well; a chart-topping song by an AI artist named Jacub was banned from Swedish charts after it was discovered that he didn't exist.