Breaking Rust, an AI-generated “cowboy,” just made history by topping Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart.
AI has made history once again. And this time, people are getting nervous.
“Walk My Walk” is a song from an artist named Breaking Rust and that song has climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart. This makes it the first AI-generated country song to ever top a Billboard ranking. This AI era we’re stepping into is getting stranger and stranger. But this is notable.
Breaking Rust sounds like a heartbroken cowboy with a scruffy voice. And yet, there is no traceable human identity. He/it is is fully AI. The digital singer boasts over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and several tracks have crossed the million-stream mark. “Livin’ on Borrowed Time,” another fan favorite, has already surpassed 4 million plays. This is happening.
The project’s creator Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor is an unknown. Taylor is credited as the songwriter behind Breaking Rust and appears linked to another AI experiment called Defbeatsai. Defbeatsai is like weird country music with a vulgar twist. Many people question if Taylor actually exists.
“Walk My Walk” has made history but Morgan Wallen’s “I Got Better” has the top spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Cody Johnson’s “Travelin’ Soldier” leads U.S. country tracks across streaming platforms. Nevertheless, Breaking Rust’s rise marks a shift. They are disrupting the game and they are making money.
And what about Hip-Hop?
AI’s breakthrough in country music could soon hit Hip-Hop just as hard, if not harder. We love rap for that raw storytelling, individuality and uniquely lived experience. Now, we stand at the cross roads where it could all be turned on its ear. “Keep It Real” will never mean the same. They will be mimicking tone, slang and stealing flows from real MCs. While some see opportunity…producers experimenting with AI tools to expand their sound or indie artists leveling the playing field…others are going to cheat. Hip-Hop could lose its soul.
The danger is real for Hip-Hop, which gives voice to the voiceless. As labels explore AI-driven projects for profit, Hip-Hop will on the menu. Even the created rappers like Bhad Bhabie are in jeopardy.
Major artists including Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa want regulations! Not everybody is Timbaland.
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