First AI Artist Enters Billboard Chart: A New Wave in Music Innovation
The global music industry is experiencing a technological revolution that is advancing rapidly, and for the first time, an artist created entirely using artificial intelligence has appeared on the Billboard charts in the United States.
This groundbreaking figure – Xania Monet – was born through generative algorithms that enable not only singing but also visual and behavioral representations similar to real pop stars.
Her debut track, “How Was I Supposed to Know?”, charted across several major categories, drawing widespread attention from audiences worldwide.
According to Billboard, the song reached number 30 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart and topped the R&B Digital Song Sales rankings, illustrating the growing influence of AI in music.
Over just a few months, the track amassed more than 44 million official streams in the U.S., earning artists’ royalties exceeding $52,000.
Xania Monet exemplifies the emerging synergy between technological innovation and creative music production, being a project developed by poet and designer Telisha “Nikki” Jones, who uses generative software to overlay her own lyrics onto music.
In September, she signed a multi-million-dollar contract with Hallwood Media, marking a significant step toward legitimizing AI-generated music in the industry.
However, not everyone views this development positively.
Singer Kehlani criticized the phenomenon in a TikTok statement, emphasizing that AI’s proliferation in music is beyond the control of artists and that it often results in songs created without proper attribution to human creators.
She highlighted that such systems allow for the production of music without acknowledging the original authors, thus undermining the value of human creativity.
Additionally, the legal landscape is starting to adapt: Sweden’s Performing Rights Society (STIM) recently signed the world’s first licensing agreement with startup Songfox, granting musicians royalties for their original works used in AI-generated compositions, thus opening a new chapter in digital rights management.