AI Cover Songs: My New Escapist Addiction
Screenshot from the video “Mordecai singing Levitating by Dua Lipa” by user Indefatigabl on YouTube.
Hello friends! Since everyone is so afraid of AI (and don’t get me wrong, it’s scary), I thought I could talk about the lighter side of AI–cover songs.
Lately, the news has been about some especially depressing things, like the Titanic submarine implosion and the wildfires in Canada. I need some good vibes to keep myself sane at the moment, so I’m going to spend the next several paragraphs talking about my favorite AI cover songs by artists such as Spongebob and the gang, Mordecai and Rigby from Regular Show, and even Markiplier.
I think these cover songs are honestly a good use of AI. The AI isn’t creating a song, just remaking one. I admit, I’m not sure how exactly everything blows over with copyrighted material, which most of the songs being covered are. However, it’s not harming the future careers of current musical artists, so it isn’t taking anyone’s job away as far as I know.
Jobs are a huge concern with the new AIs coming out, like ChatGPT. The Writers Guild of America is on strike right now, partially because the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has begun implementing AI that has begun to replace human writers. We still need human beings writing, acting, and singing, otherwise there would be no real connection between artist, work, and audience.
AI covers are all the funnier because I don’t know if the writers of these songs ever imagined they would hear a different voice singing their song. I remember when song mashups were popular, but now you can find out how it sounds when Taylor Swift sings a Selena Gomez song, or when Selena Gomez sings a Taylor Swift song, for no other reason than curiosity.
You can do so much experimentation with AI cover songs, and there is so much out there already that it is a new and exciting form of escapism for me. Sure, it’s not the same as reading a book or watching a movie, but music has always helped me to escape whatever rabbit hole my brain wants to lead me down each day. It’s really comforting to engage with something a little silly every now and then (or every day).
Here are some of my favorite AI cover songs:
Markiplier sings “Peaches”
Mordecai sings “Levitating”
Squidward sings “Virtual Insanity”
Spongebob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mordecai sing “Golden Hour”
Mr. Krabs sings “Billie Jean”
King Julien sings “When Will My Life Begin?”
There are so many more than what I listed, but these are the ones I listen to regularly. I hope you all enjoy listening to these AI cover songs as much as I do!