Yuna Rejects AI-generated Music, Celebrates One Billion Streams Milestone

By Bernama Lifestyle Reporter

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 (Bernama) -- Amid the rapid rise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creative industry, popular Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna believes that music capable of truly touching hearts still requires the human ‘soul’, something machines can never replicate.

Yuna, 40, whose full name is Yunalis Mat Zara’ai, said no matter how advanced technology becomes, emotion and experience remain the most essential elements in creating meaningful music.

“To me, AI can help refine a piece of work, but I’m not comfortable with people relying on it too heavily, especially when they use AI-generated voices and treat that as the final product. We already have so many talented artistes and songwriters who earn a living in this (entertainment) field,” she told Bernama in a recent interview.

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The ‘Dan Sebenarnya’ singer said the strength of a song lies in the spontaneity of the human creative process, including the way lyrics and melodies evolve naturally to build a deeper emotional connection with listeners.

“AI may be able to generate a song structure, but it cannot create the kind of emotion that comes from real human experiences. Sometimes the words it produces also sound too contrived and unnatural.

“It’s the human touch that makes a song feel alive and relatable,” she said.

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Yuna, who has built a successful career as a singer in the United States, also expressed concern over copyright issues, noting that AI platforms are believed to use data from existing artistes’ works as references to generate new music.

Firm in her decision not to use AI in her own music-making process, she said she remains more comfortable with traditional creative methods because, for her, music must come from the soul.

“I’ve never used AI to make songs, and honestly, I wouldn’t even know how to use it. I’m more comfortable with the usual creative process because I believe music should come from within,” she said.

Yuna, meanwhile, has reached a new career milestone after surpassing one billion streams across all credits on Spotify (a global digital audio streaming and media service provider), becoming the first Malaysian artiste to do so.

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Commenting on this, Yuna admitted it came as a surprise as she had never set streaming numbers as a personal goal and simply wanted to continue creating honest music.

“When I first started this journey, I never imagined reaching one billion streams. People may see me as a big artiste, but that kind of target never felt realistic to me. As long as people continue listening to my music and streaming my songs, I’m already grateful and happy,” she said, adding that she only learned about the achievement after receiving congratulatory messages from her fans on social media.

She described the accomplishment as a major bonus in her career as an independent artiste, with Malaysian fans remaining among the biggest contributors to the streaming success of her music.

-- BERNAMA