It is getting harder to scroll through the internet without encountering music created or reimagined with artificial intelligence. Familiar songs are being recreated in unexpected styles, while AI-generated covers attract millions of views. The technology is becoming an increasingly visible part of how people discover and experience music. In late 2025 and early 2026, an AI-generated Afro-soul version of Stromae’s “Papaoutai” went viral, reworking the Belgian singer’s 2013 hit with a soulful vocal performance and choir arrangement. Its popularity renewed questions about originality, authorship and the role of human creativity in music.
Nigeria has had its own encounters with the phenomenon. In 2025, an AI-generated version of “Intentions”, originally recorded by Urban Chords, circulated online with vocals that closely resembled Fave’s. Fave later released an official version of the song with Urban Chords.
When TNR spoke with her in the third quarter of 2026, she distinguished between using AI as a creative tool and allowing it to replace the artiste. While she welcomed its potential to assist with production, she opposed undisclosed AI-generated artistes and recreations of musicians’ songs used to make money. She maintained that those using AI to create music should be transparent about it.
But how do listeners feel about music created largely through AI? Do they care as long as the song sounds good, or does knowing how it was made change the experience? To understand how these questions resonate beyond industry conversations, we asked 10 young Nigerians to share their views on AI-generated music, including its creative possibilities and the questions it raises about authenticity and human expression.
Olamide Babalola Amoko (Bhablo) | Artiste, Music Producer and Sound Engineer
From a production standpoint, I think AI-generated music is helpful to an extent. It can give you a template or help you bring an idea or vision to life, but I don’t think it can match the level of creativity that comes from human vision. For me, AI should serve as a tool to help you develop an idea, not something you rely on completely. My biggest concern is when people who don’t really understand music depend entirely on AI to create it.
Sometimes, when you listen to AI-generated Afrobeats, especially songs that incorporate different languages, something feels off. It doesn’t always sound natural or particularly interesting, although it still has its audience. I believe AI has advantages and disadvantages, but ultimately, it’s here to stay. The key is how we choose to use it and whether we let it complement human creativity rather than replace it.
As a producer and music artiste, I can usually tell when AI has been involved in a song, whether in the entire production or through certain stems. When I recognise that AI has been used, it makes me less interested in the song. I feel like most AI-generated songs, particularly those made with Suno, tend to sound alike. They follow similar patterns, so after a while, there isn’t much creativity or originality to discover.
That said, I think this could change if these tools improve significantly in the future. If the technology evolves and offers more creative possibilities, my perception might change. But for now, the similarity between many AI-generated songs makes them less interesting to me.
Durojaiye Ridwan Ademola (KONTENTSENSEI) | Music Executive
I believe both things can be true, but ultimately, AI-generated music is a threat to human creativity and, most importantly, monetisation for actual artistes.
Some aspects could really enhance creativity. For instance, Google Flow Music now allows producers and sound engineers to create custom instruments and effects using natural-language prompts and export compatible plugins for use in digital audio workstations. That can improve the creative process. However, generating an entire song with a few prompts threatens creativity, especially as some AI-generated songs gain traction.
I don’t mind AI being used to enhance a song or improve the creative process, but once I can tell that it’s entirely AI-generated, it loses its soul to me, and I mostly lose interest immediately.
Olaoluwa Idowu (Synord) | Entertainment Lawyer
AI-generated music is a two-way street. Like every invention, its advantages and disadvantages depend on how it is used. For me, it is a great development, and with the right education and awareness of its appropriate use, it can only get better.
Knowing that a song was made with AI after I’ve listened to it wouldn’t change how I feel about it. If I enjoyed it, that means it was good enough, and that is all that matters to me.
Sogo Oladele | Photojournalist
I absolutely abhor the use of AI in music. I don’t really consider it a threat, per se. I see it as a threat to creativity, just as I see it as a threat to the creative industry. Relying on a machine to create art ultimately harms the growth of the creative industry.
I listen to music to appreciate human ingenuity and the human mind’s ability to create something intriguing and compelling, not just to be entertained. I have always gravitated towards artistes who have something to say beyond the clichés of love, money and romance. AI-generated music deprives me of that experience. I often stop listening to a song if I discover that AI was used, especially in the songwriting process.
I block all AI artistes I come across on Spotify. Music is supposed to be an experience, something that can speak to your soul, not machine-generated art. I consider the creative arts sacred, and I cannot forgive an artiste who doesn’t respect me enough to create from the heart. I am indifferent to the use of AI otherwise.
Goodness Damilola Shittu | Culture Journalist
As someone who greatly enjoys music, I don’t see AI-generated music as a positive development for the art form. Music comes from a soul that AI-generated music doesn’t have. However, I don’t think it is a threat to human creativity. Human creativity will always be superior in quality, in my view. Still, I’m accepting that AI-generated music is here to stay and should be considered when used alongside human creativity. I can almost immediately tell when a song is AI-generated.
Whenever I discover a new song, I tend to explore the rest of the artiste’s discography. I even go so far as to learn about the artiste’s personality through social media. But when I realise it’s a computer-generated act, I lose interest. I don’t even use Reels or sounds on Instagram much because of this, or I am very mindful of the sounds I choose.
FUNMY | Artiste and Songwriter
For me, AI music offers a blueprint for what technical perfection could look like. There is a lot to learn from it, and ultimately, it comes down to the user’s relationship with and perception of the technology. As a creator, it doesn’t bother me because even for AI to be that efficient, it still needs human creativity. I see it more as a tool than a threat.
If I genuinely enjoyed a song, discovering that it was AI-generated wouldn’t change how I feel about it. I don’t believe in all that politics. However, I rarely enjoy AI music because it can sometimes feel mechanical and soulless. On the other hand, some AI-generated music just feels right and complete. At that point, there is no reason to hate on it. Music is meant to be enjoyed, after all. Ultimately, it depends on how the technology is used and the human input behind it, including the prompting.
Oluwapelumi Abegunde | Literary Critic and Scholar
To be honest, the rise of AI-generated music doesn’t make me panic. It has only made me appreciate human creativity even more. What exactly is the value of music? It is not enough to define good music in terms of lyrics. What about the feelings and emotions conveyed through its delivery? The soul of music lies in the spontaneity of an artiste’s vulnerability, which is often shaped by personal experiences, hidden memories, the audience and the atmosphere they carry into a performance.
I have come across enough AI-generated music to know that AI doesn’t have a talent for the craft. The songs tend to sound a certain way, making it easy for me to recognise AI-generated music from the first note. Trust me, that realisation will always kill the excitement that comes with discovering new music.
Mubarak Dolapo Aremu (Mb Banks) | Marketing Communications Executive
AI music really reveals human creativity. It reminds us of the effort, dedication, craft and creativity that go into human-made music. Think of it this way: when “Different Now”, an AI-generated song inspired by Asake’s sound, began circulating online, it sounded convincing, but there was still a noticeable absence of soul in the delivery. The writing was there, but it didn’t hit the way Asake’s own writing would, as good as the AI music might sound.
The same thing happened with “Papaoutai”. I want to believe it was AI-made, too, and it misses one thing: the soul of music, the kind you feel in original music. The sped-up version that blew up on social media felt like a mix of fascination, concern and slight distaste. I think there is often an initial rejection of a new concept that disrupts what we are used to.
I felt concerned for the people in music, the ones who make the original music. If AI can make this type of music, what is left for creatives to do?
But it wasn’t long before I realised that the soul of music cannot be fully engineered. For that reason, humans still hold some bargaining power over AI, and that is enough relief for me.
For me, AI should be used to improve original music output. Creatives, including songwriters, producers, sound engineers and recording artistes, should identify where AI performs better and optimise its use without losing the distinctiveness they bring to their work.
Samuel Viavonu | PR and Communications Executive
AI has always played a role in the music ecosystem, from streaming algorithms that recommend songs and curate playlists to production tools used for refinement and noise isolation. Against this background, I see AI as a positive development, including its evolution into AI-generated music.
However, I don’t believe it poses an absolute threat to human creativity. Human artistes will remain valuable because music rooted in lived experience, culture, social issues and everyday life will always matter. AI may struggle to capture the nuances of these experiences.
Live performances also remain a key part of the industry, so artistes must keep investing in their craft and versatility. As the saying goes, AI may not replace you, but someone who knows how to use it might.
AI-assisted tools can support artistes with production, marketing and audience development, but AI-generated music doesn’t eliminate the need for human input. Even these systems require people to provide prompts and exercise creative control.
The real concerns are copyright, ownership, unauthorised use of artistes’ work and voice cloning. These issues require accountability, while artistes need the knowledge, teams and structures to protect their work. If I discovered that a song I enjoyed was AI-generated, it wouldn’t change how I felt about it.
Fiyinfoluwa Bakare | Graphic Designer
I think AI-generated music is an interesting development, but I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it shows how far technology has come and how it can make music production more accessible to people who might not have the resources to enter a studio. On the other hand, I don’t think AI can fully replicate the human experience behind a song. Music often connects with us because we can relate to the singer’s emotions and experiences.
If I genuinely enjoyed a song and later discovered it was entirely AI-generated, I would probably still listen to it, depending on how it sounded. However, knowing that no human artiste was behind it might change how deeply I connected with it. For me, enjoying a song and appreciating the person who created it are two different things.
