The past few days have been quite chaotic in the music industry, and it’s all because of an interview that Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, gave to the New York Times on September 7th. Top brass at the organization, founded in 1957 and made famous by the Grammy Awards, actually determined “Heart on My Sleeve,” an artificial intelligence-generated song that imitates the voices of Drake and The Weeknd, as “absolutely eligible” to perform. was taken into consideration for a Grammy Award.
The words that sparked a strong reaction and prompted a clarification from Mason Jr., which accompanied a video posted on Instagram: “I need to clarify some inaccurate information that has been circulating,” the CEO said, clarifying that: “This version of ‘Heart on “My Sleeve,” which uses an AI vocal model that imitates Drake and The Weeknd, is ineligible for Grammy consideration.”
“Let me be clear,” Mason Jr. added, “Even though the song was written by a person, the vocals were not obtained legally, they were not endorsed by the label or the artists, and the song is not available on the website.” market, and for this reason it is unacceptable,” he continued.
Finally, Mason Jr. wanted to clarify his position regarding the development of artificial intelligence: “This is all complex and moving very, very quickly. I am confident that the situation will continue to evolve and change. But please don’t get confused. The Academy is here to support, protect and represent human artists and human creators.”
Tags: Drake, The Weeknd, Grammy