Viral AI song with fake Drake and the Weeknd vocals might be eligible for Grammys
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
An anonymous songwriter went viral earlier this year by cloning the voices of Drake and The Weeknd for a new song — now, the track might be eligible to win a Grammy.
The New York Times revealed that Ghostwriter, the mysterious musician behind the viral hit "Heart on My Sleeve," has submitted the song for Grammys consideration in two categories. The chief executive of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr., told the outlet that the "creative side" of the song is "absolutely eligible" for Song of the Year and Best Rap Song, as "it was written by a human."
Reps for Drake, The Weeknd, and the Recording Academy did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
The Recording Academy recently clarified: "Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a GRAMMY Award. A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any Category." However, because "Heart on My Sleeve" is only being submitted into categories that award the writers of a song — not the artist recording it — Ghostwriter is eligible for penning the track.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Todd Williamson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Drake; The Weeknd
The only roadblock to the song's eligibility is its distribution. The Grammys require "the broad release of a recording, available nationwide via brick-and-mortar stores, third-party online retailers and/or streaming services," according to the Times. This could be an impediment for "Heart on My Sleeve" as it was quickly pulled from streaming services, including YouTube. The original link to the song now displays the message: "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Universal Music Group." However, The Verge reported that Universal Music Group (UMG) did not confirm it had sent takedowns to Apple Music, Spotify, or other streaming services.
"Heart on My Sleeve" perked ears when it arrived April for the way it eerily replicates the voices, tones, and inflections of both Drake and The Weeknd. Mason told the Times that he quickly recognized the significance of the song and contacted Ghostwriter on social media. "I knew right away as soon as I heard that record that it was going to be something that we had to grapple with from an Academy standpoint, but also from a music community and industry standpoint," Mason said. "When you start seeing AI involved in something so creative and so cool, relevant and of-the-moment, it immediately starts you thinking, 'OK, where is this going? How is this going to affect creativity? What's the business implication for monetization?'"
The Ghostwriter team met with the Recording Academy to discuss the future of AI in music, and told the Times that they seek to raise awareness about the potential of the technology for both consumers and labels.
On Tuesday, Ghostwriter released a new track, "Whiplash," that mimics Travis Scott and 21 Savage.
Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights leading up to all the major award shows.
Related content:
