Lead

An Australian DJ and producer has risen from relative obscurity to viral fame with a cover of Madonna's 1989 hit "Like a Prayer," which has topped national radio airplay charts. But the success has sparked a debate within the music industry about whether the track was produced with generative AI, with experts and fellow musicians questioning the authenticity of the work.

Josh Fawaz, a Queensland-based producer, released his version of "Like a Prayer" in April. It quickly climbed to the number one spot on the National Radio Airplay chart and has been streamed more than 38 million times on Spotify, according to ABC Australia. The song has also peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Coverage Comparison

ABC Australia has reported extensively on the story, first highlighting the controversy and later covering Fawaz's response. The Guardian's coverage has taken a more investigative angle, questioning the authenticity of Fawaz's music and examining the broader implications for the industry.

ABC Australia's initial report noted the irony of a 40-year-old song topping the charts and the concerns about AI in music production. A follow-up reported that Fawaz added AI credits to his music following an ABC investigation, and that Spotify's global head of artists urged legitimate artists to declare their use of AI on the platform.

The Guardian's coverage emphasized the "worrying questions" raised by the possibility of AI-generated music, quoting experts who say the track bears hallmarks of AI music generators like Suno, such as being "heavily compressed."

Key Claims

  • Josh Fawaz's cover of "Like a Prayer" reached number one on the National Radio Airplay chart, as reported by ABC Australia and The Guardian.
  • Music experts question whether Fawaz produced the song or used AI, a claim carried by both ABC Australia and The Guardian.
  • Fawaz's album "Dance Like Nobody's Watching" climbed to number 18 on the ARIA Australian artist albums chart, according to The Guardian.
  • A new commercial radio code of practice requires transparency about using AI-generated voices on air, but it doesn't apply to music, as reported by The Guardian.
  • Big tech companies are asking for Australian copyright laws to be watered down to allow them to scrape Australian output to improve their AI models, according to The Guardian.
  • Fawaz responded to criticism saying he uses AI "as a tool," as reported by ABC Australia and The Guardian.
  • Madonna's new album "Confessions II" debuted at number one on the ARIA Top 50 Albums chart, according to ABC Australia.
  • "Like a Prayer" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, as reported by ABC Australia.
  • The ARIA Charts combine physical sales, digital downloads, and streaming activity to determine music consumption in Australia, according to ABC Australia.
  • "Like a Prayer" has been streamed over 38 million times on Spotify, as reported by ABC Australia.
  • Spotify's global head of artists urged legitimate artists to declare their use of AI on the platform, according to ABC Australia.
  • Josh Fawaz added AI credits to his music following an ABC investigation, as reported by ABC Australia.

Perspectives

Josh Fawaz

Fawaz has defended his use of AI, saying he uses it "as a tool" and that his priority is providing listeners with good music. He has added AI credits to "Like a Prayer" following the ABC investigation, including a "Generative AI vocals" and "AI drums" credit.

Music Industry Experts

Experts such as Sam Whiting, a senior research fellow at RMIT, and Samantha Bennett, professor of music at the Australian National University, have raised concerns about the implications of AI-generated music. Whiting noted that "Like a Prayer" has hallmarks of AI music generators, and Bennett pointed out the irony that a cover of a 40-year-old song is topping charts instead of Madonna's new material.

Spotify

Spotify's global head of artists, Sam Duboff, told the ABC that the streaming giant is urging legitimate artists who use AI to declare so on the platform using a new beta feature. This comes after the removal of 75 million "spammy tracks" from Spotify's database over the past 12 months.