The Velvet Sundown: Are they real deal or ‘100% AI generated’

A mysterious band called The Velvet Sundown has taken Spotify by storm, despite their true identity remaining shrouded in a sea of digital fog.

With over 850,000 monthly listeners and a verified Spotify page, the indie ballad group has achieved viral success despite its members having no discernible online presence, individual social media accounts, or history of live performances.

These tell-tale signs have fuelled accusations that the band and its music are entirely AI-generated – a claim the group has denied on social media, though they did not respond to the BBC’s request for an interview. The narrative took an even more bizarre turn when Rolling Stone US initially reported that a band spokesman had admitted to using an AI tool called Suno for their music.

However, the magazine quickly issued a correction, revealing the spokesman himself was a hoax, deliberately fabricated to deceive the media. The Velvet Sundown has since released a statement on their Spotify page, disavowing any affiliation with the individual or a fake X (formerly Twitter) account claiming to be their official channel.

Professor Gina Neff from the University of Cambridge’s Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy warns that such incidents highlight a broader societal challenge. “Whether this is an AI band may not seem important,” Neff stated, “But increasingly, our collective grip on reality seems shaky.”

This sentiment resonates deeply within the music industry, where fears about AI’s impact on copyright and creative integrity are rampant. Deezer, a rival streaming platform, even reported its AI detector flagged The Velvet Sundown’s music as “100% AI generated.”

Industry figures like Ed Newton Rex of Fairly Trained describe the situation as “theft dressed up as competition,” echoing widespread concerns that AI companies are leveraging artists’ work without permission, potentially flooding the market with imitations and diminishing income for human musicians. The mystery of The Velvet Sundown thus becomes a potent symbol of the ongoing battle for control in an increasingly AI-driven creative landscape.