And it’s not the most notable Rusty act to rattle the music world. Their latest single, “Walk My Walk,” just shot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart. This monumental achievement represents a new, unprecedented era. In a first, an AI-generated song has reached number one on a major country music chart, rattling the music industry and prompting conversations among artists over the use of artificial intelligence in music production.
The foot-stomping “Walk My Walk” has gone viral, recently surpassing 3 million streams on Spotify in under a month. Accomplishing this incredible feat further demonstrates its meteoric rise in the music industry. The track, a heartfelt country ballad, demonstrates exactly what AI technology is capable of when it comes to creating and producing music. Billboard just named Breaking Rust as an AI act to watch. This incredible recognition only cements its role on our changing world of music.
In recent months, Breaking Rust has been joined by at least six other AI artists on the charts. This rise is indicative of the larger acceptance of the use of artificial intelligence within the music industry at large. AI-generated content is quickly growing in scope. With these changes comes the challenge of how artistic expression will evolve and where human musicians fit into all of it.
Kelley L. Carter, a senior entertainment reporter, highlighted the experimental nature of this development during her conversation with ABC News.
“Ultimately, this feels like an experiment to see just how far something like this can go and what happens in the future and in other disciplines of art as well,” – Kelley L. Carter
Carter further underscored the urgent need to address how AI may harm real-life artists, especially those in more traditional disciplines. She noted that companies are beginning to appreciate the return on investment for AI artists. If successful, this transition would open the door for monumental changes to the music industry.
“AI artists won’t require things that a real human artist will require, and once companies start considering it and looking at bottom lines, I think that’s when artists should rightly be concerned about it,” – Kelley L. Carter
The success of “Walk My Walk” brings a new perspective to what constitutes artistic intention in music. It paints a picture of how technology is revolutionizing the music industry. Whether you consume, create, or both, these skills will be necessary as we move forward with this ongoing and fascinating technology.
