AI covers of Taeyeon’s “To.X” by various singers, including BTS’s Jungkook and IU, are gaining popularity on YouTube
“To.X” AI cover videos by BTS’s Jungkook, IU, Baek Ye-rin, aespa’s Winter, BLACKPINK’s Rosé, EXO’s Baekhyun & D.O, NCT’s Jaehyun & Haechan, NewJeans’s Hanni, Monsta X’s I.M, The Boyz’s Hyunjae, etc. recently created hot topics. Rather than real singers singing the song by themselves, these videos were made using AI technology to change the original vocal into the voices of singers they want.
In fact, the covers have nothing to do with the real singers but they are becoming popular as fans can enjoy various songs with the voices of their favorite singers. In particular, a post titled “Taeyeon’s ‘To.X’ AI cover versions are spreading among idol fans these days”. Baekhyun version recorded 1.26 million views on YouTube, while the cover video with NCT Haechan’s voice attracted over 610,000 views as of January 25th.
“To.X” is an R&B song with a sensual guitar riff and rhythmic melody that tells the story of realizing how the other person had controlled them after a breakup. As a result, K-pop fans tried to create many versions with the voices of singers with excellent vocals and unique voices.
Before Taeyeon’s “To.X”, AI covers have become a trend since last year. Unimaginable combinations, such as US-UK singers singing K-pop songs, were made with the help of AI, such as Bruno Mars singing NewJeans’s “Hype Boy” to Michael Jackson singing FIFTY FIFTY’s “Cupid”, Lim Jae-bum singing IU’s “Good Day”, and NCT127 singing IVE’s “Baddie”.
However, many people are also expressing concerns over the excessive use of AI, emphasizing the copyright issues. According to a global market analysis company, the global AI music market is expected to grow significantly over the upcoming decade, from $229 million last year to $2.66 in 2032. In this regard, the Korean government has also released guidelines with regulations for AI covers. In 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Copyright Commission announced the “Guidelines For AI Copyright Utilization” and proposed a revision of the Content Promotion Act to prevent side effects of AI content.
President of the Korea Music Copyright Association Choo Ga-yeol said, “Creators pour enormous time and money into their content, so proactive and preventive legislative measures are needed to ensure that their work is not misused or exploited without fair compensation. I hope that this public hearing will let people understand the need for law revisions and the creation of exemplary legislative precedents even more.”
Source: Daum
