Drake & Weeknd AI-Generated Song Goes Viral ... Startup Marketing Ploy???
A new AI-generated song featuring fake Drake and The Weeknd is taking the internet by storm -- but it might just be a tech startup behind this ... according to a deep Twitter dive.
The track is called 'Heart on My Sleeve' ... and it's all over TikTok/Twitter right now. Purportedly, this was created with nothing but the use of AI programming -- meaning there wasn't a human involved in the making of what sounds like a banger ... with what absolutely sounds like Drizzy and Abel. In other words, AI efficiency is getting scary good.
AI generated Drake & The Weeknd song.
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 16, 2023 @barstoolsports
We are so fucked. pic.twitter.com/Agwd4skLQP
Right from the beginning, you hear the familiar Young Metro intro ... which then goes into a bass-heavy club beat with Drake starting the opening verse. It's incredibly solid -- and it sure sounds like something Drake may have even written/rapped. Ditto for Weeknd's chorus.
On its face, you'd think this was a leak ... but Twitter sleuths are claiming it isn't, and that it's solely the work of a robot -- which is frightening if true ... especially for the labels.
This song is VIRAL on all platforms right now.
— Mitchell Cohen (@MitchellLandon) April 16, 2023 @MitchellLandon
But I think it's all a genius marketing stunt...
Not by Drake, but by a SaaS startup.
Here's a 30-second summary of the ai Drake song and my prediction of who's behind it. 👻 pic.twitter.com/puklgqjElZ
Now, as for who may have created this track and why -- as an AI program needs to be told to do something like this by a person somewhere along the line, unless we're already in 'Terminator' territory -- one man thinks he has the answer ... and he might be on to something. Shout out to Mitchell Cohen of AppSumo for doing the heavy lifting here.
He started a Twitter thread that did a lot of digging in the origins of 'Heart on My Sleeve' ... and it all seems to have started with a TikTok account by the name of ghostwriter977.
And the bio link goes to a Laylo page asking people for their phone #.
— Mitchell Cohen (@MitchellLandon) April 16, 2023 @MitchellLandon
That'd be a strange move from Drake.
Or a strange move from an ai ghostwriter wanting more streams. Why not just link it directly?
Also, what is Laylo?
Here's where it gets interesting... pic.twitter.com/6TxW0rnNZp
That account claims to have the full song at the link in their bio, but when you click it ... it takes you to a weird site that is then asking for your phone number, with the promise of sending you song that way. If it sounds fishy ... that's because it very well may be.
The site that the link takes you to is owned and operated by a startup company called Laylo ... and they tout themselves as being able to give creators more tools to reach more fans/subscribers ... via "drops." Anyway, this ghostwriter account also uploaded another AI Drake song a couple days ago ... where he's covering Colbie Caillat's 'Bubbly.'
Worth noting: the song is "Bubbly" lol and it also kinda bangs. pic.twitter.com/Nu0EQarUde
— Mitchell Cohen (@MitchellLandon) April 16, 2023 @MitchellLandon
Mitch stops short of saying it definitely is Laylo's doing ... but the company itself is feeding into the narrative that it is ... seeing how they retweeted his entire thread and responded with a cheeky ghost emoji. Because of this, Mitch and others feel like this a genius marketing ploy just to attract new users/customers to Laylo ... assuming it is, in fact, them.
As for Drake and Weeknd ... yeah, they might wanna get on this. 'Cause this song is too good to be out in the world without their sign-off.
Also, yes ... we're so, so doomed.
related articles
Katy Perry North West Busts a Move on Stage During Concert ... Crowd Goes Wild as Kim Watches
Kim Kardashian's nine-year-old daughter North West was brought on stage by Katy Perry during the popstar's Las Vegas residency PLAY at Resorts World on Saturday night.
An eyewitness told DailyMail.com that Katy, 38, hosted a 'walk-off competition' for her Firework Foundation and 'invited North West onto the stage' to participate.
"While on the stage North asked if her friends could join her and Katy obliged," they revealed.
Kim Kardashian decided to treat her daughter, North West, to a Katy Perry concert in Vegas Saturday night, and the kid got way more than she bargained for!
Katy invited North and some of her friends up on stage to dance smack in the middle of the concert. The crowd went nuts, as Kim was taken up to the front row so she could watch her daughter perform.
There were others roaring their approval, including Paris Hilton and Sia. And get this ... Paris's hubby, Carter Reum, had earplugs in as he danced to the music.
Katy bestowed the crown on North and another kid as the walk-off winners. No surprise there ... actually, the crown was a pizza, but still ...
Fun night had by all, especially NW.
related articles
Blink-182 Blows The House Down At Coachella Travis Beat Those Drums with No Distress!!!
4/14/23
Blink-182 opened Coachella with a mesmerizing performance that blew the house down Friday ... and drummer Travis Barker was in fighting form with no signs of injury.
Trav and bandmates, Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus, stepped out onto the Sahara stage as the sun was setting for their jam-packed concert at the desert festival in Indio, CA. ... and the vibe was joyful for their first show in nine years as Trav hit the skins with everything he could muster.
I only paid for Twitter Blue so I could upload the entirety of Blink 182’s two-song finale at Coachella.
— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) April 15, 2023 @calebturner23
An absolutely incredible experience watching these three back on stage together. Wish I was there. So happy for them. pic.twitter.com/cFUAorMKIg
Of course, one of the main concerns everyone had was Trav's much-publicized hand injury. As you recall, Trav underwent surgery to repair his ring finger back in March and he posted gnarly photos of his injuries during his recovery.
Well, as it turned out, there wasn't a hint that Trav's finger was bothering him throughout the one-hour-plus show. And Trav and Co. never once brought up the issue, probably 'cause there wasn't one.
As for their set list, the band played many of their hit songs, such as “Girl at the Rock Show," “Feeling This," “All The Small Things,” “Miss You” and “What’s My Age Again?” The tunes all sounded great and, in between songs, there was the usual funny banter between Tom and Mark.
🎙 EL REGRESO DE TOM DELONGE A BLINK-182.
— Pogopedia (@Pogopedia) April 15, 2023 @Pogopedia
🎸 La banda volvió a reunir a su formación más popular tras casi 9 años y abrió su show de último momento en Coachella con "Family Reunion" y "Anthem, Part 2". pic.twitter.com/RUoxWaDOAB
Trav's wife, Kourtney Kardashian, was also a main attraction. Donning dark sunglasses and a black feathered shawl with a hoodie, Kourtney stood on the side of the stage, proudly cheering on her husband and playing the role of number one fan.
After the lights dimmed post-performance, Trav walked off stage and got the warmest of receptions from Kourtney, who jumped right into his arms.
On a scale of 1 to 10, mark this performance a thousand!!
related articles
Bad Bunny and Post Malone Give Near-Perfect Performance At Coachella Minus Technical Difficulties
7:48 AM PT -- 4/17 -- Bad Bunny apologized for the technical issues after his show and shared a clip from practice.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Bad Bunny and Post Malone were fan faves at the kickoff of Coachella on Friday night ... but their performance suffered a brief hiccup, although it didn't put a damper on the mood.
Bunny brought Post out on stage during his two-hour show in the hot desert of Indio, CA, and the packed crowd just went berserk.
The superstars were playing acoustic guitar versions of Bunny's hits, "La Cancion" and "Yonaguni," when Post's mic suddenly went dead.
Check out video, obtained by TMZ, showing Bunny singing into a mic -- which was working just fine -- as Post was strumming his guitar, which was barely audible due to the technical difficulties. But, the two just kinda laughed it all off as the sea of fans began singing a capella to fill the unusual void on stage.
Despite their best efforts, they couldn't get Post's mic back up and running, and he made a graceful exit as Bad Bunny polished off his near-perfect set.
At another point during Bad Bunny's performance, there was another slight mishap. Post was dancing around the stage and took a little spill, but recovered nicely.
. @sanbenito brought out @PostMalone for #BadChella but they had audio difficulties during the acoustic set rip pic.twitter.com/RIz7ur4686
— courteney larocca (@cnlarocca) April 15, 2023 @cnlarocca
All in all, it was an exceptional performance by the two musical giants. And this surely won't be the last time we see them working together.
Originally Published -- 4/15 1:30 AM PT
related articles
Tommy Lee Posts Transphobic OAN Clip ... Getting Slammed Online
5:39 AM PT -- Tommy Lee pulled his post down, saying, "I deleted my 'controversial' post because I am in no way transphobic or agains the LGBTQ+ community or any f***ing community ... s**t, I'm the gayest motherf***er."
Tommy Lee is stirring up controversy on his social media page ... because he reposted a transphobic clip from far-right news network OAN.
The Mötley Crüe drummer posted the One America News Network clip on his official Instagram account Friday afternoon ... and it's being met with mixed reactions from celebs and Average Joes.
In the clip, OAN anchor Liz Wheeler is going on a rant about transgender, transracial and transabled people ... trying to get a rise out of folks with a segment light on facts and heavy on drama ... ticking off all the things she fantasizes could happen down the road.
Tommy added the caption, "Where does it end people?!?!"
The post quickly caught the attention of Questlove, who replied ... "Oan tho? #unfollow."
Tommy's friend, Criss Angel, rushed to his defense ... commenting, "100%."
The rest of the replies and comments are mostly from people condemning Tommy, but he does have some supporters out there.
OAN is known to stoke controversy ... and the network has been dropped by most major cable carriers in the United States.
But, it seems Tommy's still tuning in.
related articles
Coachella Big Names Light Up Neon Carnival ... Weekend's Biggest Party!!!
-
Exclusive
- 185 shares
Cara Delevingne, Casey Affleck, and Camila Cabello are just some of the names set to show up and show out during Coachella weekend ... TMZ has learned.
Neon Carnival is no doubt THE place to be for people spending their weekend at the music festival. The highly-anticipated late-night party is going down Saturday at the famed Desert International Horse Park.
Of course, this is the event that typically draws Hollywood's A-list every year. Party sources tell us Lil Nas X, Willow Smith, Nina Dobrev and Shaun White, Idris Elba, Delilah Belle, YG, and Gorillaz are confirmed to step out for the party's 12th year.
We're told influencers Dixie D'Amelio, Alix Earle, Lisa Rinna's model daughter Amelia Hamlin and singer Anderson .Paak are also expected to pull up to the party which is sponsored by Levi's and Tequila Don Julio.
DJ Ruckus will be spinning behind the booth for the party which always goes well into the early morning of Sunday.
Around 10,000 people showed up to last year's shindig and we're told event organizers are expecting even more this time around.
It's going to be a night to remember ... or perhaps not!!! 😉
related articles
Paris Hilton Skips Coachella, First Time in Years ... No FOMO For This Mom
-
Exclusive
- 2.8K shares
Paris Hilton's abdicating her crown as the Queen of Coachella, because she's skipping the festival for the first time in 16 years ... and it's all because the new mom has new priorities.
Sources connected to Paris tell TMZ … she won't be out in the desert this weekend for several reasons, but chief among them is her baby boy, Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum.
Paris is only about 3 months into mommydom, and our sources say she wants to spend time with Phoenix ... and a music festival just isn't the right setting, for obvious reasons.
Instead of vibing to live tunes, we're told Paris and her son have weekend plans with friends.
Of course, Coachella is a 2-weekend event, but she won't be there next weekend either. We're told Paris is prepping to go to Washington D.C. for meetings with Congressional leaders regarding the child abuse bill for which she's been advocating.
Paris has been a fixture at Coachella since 2007, earning the nickname the Coachella Queen ... and she's known around the festival for always having the best outfits and hitting exclusive Coachella parties like Neon Carnival.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
She won't be there physically, but she's there in IG spirit, at least -- Paris posted a throwback to some of her best past festival 'fits.
Welcome to Team Nochella, mama Paris!
related articles
The Script Guitarist Mark Sheehan Dead at 46
Mark Sheehan, the guitarist from the famous Irish rock band The Script, is dead.
The band announced Mark's death Friday, saying he died in the hospital following a brief illness. The official cause of death is unclear.
Mark's bandmates are remembering him as a "much loved husband, father, brother, band mate and friend."
When The Script toured the United States last year for the American leg of their greatest hits tour, Mark was not performing with the band ... and at the time, singer Danny O'Donoghue told the "Sunday World" Mark was taking time away from the group to be with family.
Mark helped found The Script in Dublin way back in 2001, along with Danny and Glen Power on the drums.
The group's first album, "The Script," reached No. 1 in both the United Kingdom and Ireland ... and their lead single, "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" peaked at No. 2 on the singles charts.
Mark was 46.
RIP
related articles
Taylor Swift Breakup's on Her Mind ... at Tampa Concert
Taylor Swift made a subtle change at her concert Thursday night in Tampa -- well, face it, nothing's subtle with the Swifties -- and it seems to revolve around her breakup.
Taylor uses a song when she goes offstage and eventually reappears with the next "era" of her work. The transition song up until this concert was "Everything Has Changed," which is about a happy relationship. At the Tampa concert, however, the transition was "Holy Ground," a song looking back wistfully on a failed relationship.
If that's not enough to make you think she's referring to her breakup with Joe Alwyn, she opened her show with this -- "Is it just me or do we have a lot of things to catch up on?"
Taylor's set list remained the same, but she did make interesting references ... for example, "I've been thinking a lot about one of my albums recently. One of my albums has been on my mind a lot ... lots going on in my brain about it."
At one point Taylor flexed her bicep and gave her arm a kiss ... a pretty clear indication she's still standing strong.
Taylor had a slight wardrobe malfunction at one point when her garter fell off during a song. Her singers came to the rescue.
Taylor's fans generally pick up on every little Easter egg, but we're thinking they missed a series of clues for weeks ... clues that she broke up with Joe. It seems she wanted it front and center for her tour, and when fans didn't pick up what she was puttin' down, someone leaked the breakup news.
Taylor Swift spotted leaving the Electric Lady Studio last night. pic.twitter.com/vFoxkyqMH2
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) April 13, 2023 @BuzzingPop
Meanwhile, Taylor's hit up Electric Lady recording studio in NYC ... so she's up to something!
related articles
Kane Brown Takes Boot to the Balls On Stage ... Signs the Boot!!!
Kane Brown needs better protection, and we don't mean bodyguards -- the guy took a shot to the nuts while performing, and had an odd reaction ... putting his John Hancock on the boot that took him out!!!
The country singer had a show Thursday night in Wichita for his "The Drunk or Dreaming Tour" ... and the crowd was certainly having fun -- maybe a little too much fun, which is where the rogue cowboy boot comes into play.
The video's pretty hilarious, unless you're Kane -- ironically, in the middle of "One Thing Right," the boot nails him right in the junk, making him stop to catch his breath. He goes to the floor to finish the song before flattening himself out.
Seemed like Kane was a good sport, though, because he later signed the offending boot and handed back to someone in the crowd. Unclear if he signed his name or just drew a middle finger on it, though.
The timing of the shoe couldn't be more perfect, BTW ... right after getting hit, he sings the lyrics, "I've been at the wrong place at the wrong time."
You can say that again -- feel better, Kane!
related articles
Kourtney Kardashian Turns Coachella Groupie ... For Travis' Blink-182 Reunion
Kourtney Kardashian is in leathered-out super fan mode for her husband Travis Barker's remarkable reunion performance with Blink-182 at Coachella.
Kourt and Travis got on the road Thursday to head to Indio, California for the huge Musical Festival weekend ... and she made sure to flick it up and show support for her hubby ahead of his set.
While on the road, she posted a few photos from inside the trailer using the Coachella geotag, showing off her 'fit and giving fans a sneak peek behind-the-scenes.
Of course, she couldn't help but promote Poosh's party, which is an 'adult sleepaway camp' held during the festival weekend.
Kourt's looking like the ultimate rockstar groupie -- shades paired with a graphic tee and black leather jacket.
Most importantly, she posted a shot of Trav's practice drum kit, referencing the hot topic for all Blink fans -- how's he gonna play with his injured hand?!?
As we reported, Travis had surgery to repair his busted left ring finger a little over a month ago ... and that forced the band to postpone dates on their first tour together in 9 years.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Everyone was shocked when the pop-punk rockers were a last-minute addition to Coachella's Friday night lineup. As you can see, frontman Mark Hoppus is amped for their set inside the Sahara tent.
The band formed back in 1992 ... and over 3 decades later, fans are still lining up to see 'em rock out.
The only remaining question is whether Kourt will be front-row or backstage.
related articles
Ne-Yo On Taylor Swift Breakups Are Good For Writing Songs ... She'll Use It For Next Hit
-
Exclusive
- 507 shares
Ne-Yo says Taylor Swift has all the inspiration to write her next hit song now that she's broken up with her longtime boyfriend, Joe Alwyn.
We got the "So Sick" singer at LAX and asked him about the silver linings to all the emotions involved in a romantic split ... and Ne-Yo told us some of his best songs are directly tied to heartache.
Ne-Yo says Taylor won't have to suffer through the breakup as much as a regular person ... because talented songwriters like them can take bad energy and turn it into something positive ... like hit records.
As Swifties already know, Taylor's got tons of songs about Joe and past breakups ... and Ne-Yo predicts she's gonna use this split for more tracks.
The timeline of Taylor and Joe's split remains unclear, but the news broke during a break in her Eras Tour ... and Ne-Yo makes his pitch to join her onstage to sing about lost love.
related articles
Music Exec David Bolno Woman Found Dead in His Miami Hotel Room ... Cops Investigate, He's Not Person of Interest
-
Exclusive Details
- 709 shares
A Hollywood music exec, David Bolno, who's repped Justin Bieber, Drake and Post Malone, is in the middle of a death investigation after a potential artist was found dead in a Miami Beach hotel room.
Bolno had a room at the luxurious Setai hotel/condo building on March 30, and Laura Lozano's body was discovered there on March 30. According to a Miami Beach PD report, obtained by TMZ, she was found in the area of the bathtub around 1:22 PM.
Bolno was not there at the time ... police say surveillance video shows him leaving by himself at 4:35 AM. Hotel staffers called Bolno when check-out time came and went, and he told them he'd already left ... but added there was a woman in the room who needed to leave. David paid for several rooms, including Lozano's, and although he was in her room, he visited her there but wasn't staying in it.
According to cops, hotel staffers went to the room and that's when they found Lozano unresponsive. Hotel security did CPR and called the fire department ... when they arrived she was pronounced dead.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... officers did recover an "unknown substance" which they suspect to be narcotics. Police are awaiting the results of toxicology to determine Lozano's cause of death.
As for Bolno ... he told Daily Mail Lozano's death was a "terrible tragedy" and she was staying in his room "because she was recording music the night before. She's a client and she was going to sign a record deal with me. I helped her make music."
Our sources tell us there's evidence Lozano was alive around 8 AM, because she ordered room service.
Bolno was trying to sign Lozano to his L.A.-based management firm, NKSFB, where he is currently a partner. NKSFB bills itself as one of the largest entertainment companies in the nation.
We're told Bolno has been cooperating with police investigating Lozano's death, and he's not considered a person of interest.
Variety reported in 2020 that Bolno's client list included not only Justin Bieber, Drake and Post Malone, but also Pharrell Williams, Will.i.am and Scooter Braun.
related articles
Taylor Swift 'Rebirth' Jeans Sell Out Online ... After Post-Breakup Outing
-
Exclusive
- 1.7K shares
Taylor Swift clearly has a major hold on her fan base, 'cause the pants she wore on her first public single-girl outing have already sold out ... with some fans already looking into a deeper meaning behind her fashion choice.
Taylor wore a pair of "Butterfly-patch Cropped Jeans" from a brand called Area out in NYC Monday night. The pants, which come complete with a bedazzled butterfly on the leg and retail for $673, were still available online early Tuesday morning. However, Swifites were quick to track down the item, causing the pants to sell out from multiple retailers in a few hours.
Like just about everything Taylor does, her fans even hunted for clues in the singer's fashion choice -- believing the butterfly may symbolize rebirth and starting over.
As we reported, Swift wasn't alone for her night out in NYC's West Village, joined by pal Jack Antonoff and his fiancée, actress Margaret Qualley.
It's been less than a week since news broke about Taylor's relationship with Joe Alwyn coming to an end after 6 years together -- and the public outing in NYC was certainly a rare one -- only time will tell if Taylor's deciding to come out of her cocoon a little bit more.
We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!
related articles
Taylor Swift Getting Post-Breakup Support ... Dinner with Jack Antonoff
There's nothing like a familiar face for Taylor Swift in the wake of her split from Joe Alwyn ... as she's getting by with a little help from her pal and longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff.
T. Swift hit NYC's West Village Monday night for a bite at Via Carota, and, apparently, has no issues being the third wheel ... now that she's single. She dined with Jack and his fiancée, actress Margaret Qualley.
The timing of the trio's night out for some Italian is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, Taylor's hardly looking super sad -- at least on the outside -- which might support the theory her breakup from Joe didn't go down all that recently.
Secondly, freshly heartbroken folks rarely wanna hang out with freshly in love couples ... like Jack and Margaret, for instance. They got engaged last May after about a year of dating -- so, again, we'd guess Taylor wouldn't be in the mood to catch up on Margaret and Jack's wedding plans ... IF she and Joe had just broken up.
As we reported, news of Taylor and Joe's demise, after 6 years of dating, leaked over the weekend, but they hadn't been seen together in public in a long time -- and some fans noticed he hadn't been at any of her Eras Tour shows either.
So far, neither is saying exactly when they split ... or who called things off.
Of course, TS and singer/songwriter Jack have worked together for years ... he's co-written or co-produced several dozen of Taylor's tracks. Who knows, maybe they hashed out her next great breakup song while breaking bruschetta!
Fair warning, Joe.
related articles
Taylor Swift Songs About Joe Alwyn ... Big Increase in Streams Post-Breakup
-
Exclusive Details
- 449 shares
Taylor Swift's music is seeing a huge spike amid news of her breakup with Joe Alwyn -- but the interest is focused on specific tracks, with a specific muse in mind ... take a guess.
The numbers are in -- as aggregated by TS stan SpotifySwiftie -- and it looks like several songs from TayTay's past few albums have seen massive streaming increases in the past 48 hours ... but, perhaps unsurprisingly, they're all tunes rumored to be about her now-ex.
The songs in question span her last 5 projects -- which cover the time frame that she's been with Joe -- and they range in percentages ... from as low a boost as 23% to as high as 106%, and everything in between. There are 11 tracks we're talking about here, BTW.
'King of My Heart' from her album 'Reputation' and 'happiness' from 'evermore,' for example touch the low end of the totem pole (at 23% increases each) ... whereas other songs like 'Sweet Nothing' ('Midnights') and 'the 1' ('folkore') are at 30% and 39%, respectively.
Other songs, however, have even more plays ... cuts like 'New Year's Day' ('Reputation'), 'peace' ('folklore') and 'Daylight' ('Lover') have jumped 40%/48%/58% in streaming stats.
The song of hers that has the largest upswing is 'Cornelia Street' ('Lover') at 106%. Some of the telltale lyrics in there that allude to Joe include this line ... "And I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends // I'd never walk Cornelia Street again // That's the kind of heartbreak time could never mend." It's been reported they shared a home on this NYC street, for real.
Funny enough ... there's actually viral video of New York-based Swifties leaving flowers at the rumored house they used to live in -- mourning the fact that Joe and Taylor are dunzo.
Sounds like the interest is just as big in digital listening as it is in person. Go figure!