Technology Updates: Goodbye human pop stars: First AI singer tops Billboard charts, bags a US$3M record deal

Source:

https://vulcanpost.com/897650/first-ai-singer-xania-monet/

ChatGPT:

The music industry has reached a milestone with the rise of Xania Monet, the first AI singer to break into Billboard charts and land a US$3 million record deal. Created by Mississippi R&B songwriter Telisha “Nikki” Jones, Monet made waves in September 2025, debuting at No. 25 on the Emerging Artists list and No. 21 on Hot Gospel Songs with Let Go, Let God. Her breakout single How Was I Supposed to Know topped R&B Digital Song Sales, hit No. 3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, and secured No. 22 on the overall chart, amassing 9.8 million streams in the U.S., with over half in a single week.

The success sparked bidding wars, though major labels hesitated amid ongoing lawsuits tied to Suno, the AI platform behind Monet’s music. Smaller labels, however, saw opportunity and pushed the deal to US$3 million. For them, an AI pop star could be a disruptive gateway into the industry, attracting publicity and normalizing AI-generated artists. While major companies tread cautiously, others may lean on AI to produce market-ready performers at scale.

Yet this shift also highlights a new kind of creative partnership. Jones, a poet and songwriter without strong vocal ability, leveraged AI to give her words a powerful musical voice that resonated globally—something impossible only a few years ago. Monet’s rise demonstrates that AI alone is not enough; human talent and direction remain crucial in shaping successful art.

The episode underscores how AI could democratize opportunities for creators, challenging traditional gatekeeping in music while sparking broader debates about authenticity, copyright, and the future role of human performers.

Opinion:

Interesting times ahead. A blend of human and AI musicians could actually work—it sort of makes sense.

The real drama, though, will be in how the money gets split. 

Who gets what: the songwriter, the coder, or the algorithm?