The Velvet Sundown is an AI-created band that has gained popularity on Spotify, with two albums released recently and over 850,000 monthly listeners. Its music is described as innocuous, signifying a trend in streaming where music serves more as a background for daily activities rather than a focal point for active listening. The style of the music reflects a broader shift in how people consume music today, leaning towards anodyne experiences rather than profound engagement with sound or lyrics.
The Velvet Sundown seems to be successful: It released two albums last month alone, with a third on its way. And with more than 850,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, its reach exceeds that of the late-'80s MTV staple Martika or the hard-bop jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley.
What may now be the most successful AI group on Spotify is merely, profoundly, and disturbingly innocuous. In that sense, it signifies the fate of music that is streamed online.
A single road trip with the Velvet Sundown was enough to prove this point: A major subset of the music that we listen to today is more like nothing-not good or bad, aesthetically or morally.
Having listened to both of the Velvet Sundown's albums, I discovered that, while not good, the music is not bad either. It's more like a vehicle for vibes.
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