It looks like the Terminator season has really reached the music business. Terminator, like the movie, is about an AI platform that went rogue and nuked the world, only to unleash a cyborg army to finish the job. So, here comes Timbaland, who is diving headfirst into the future with the launch of Stage Zero, his newest venture centered on artificial intelligence and famed engineer Young Guru is not feeling it.
Get this, the legendary producer has introduced TaTa, a fully AI-created pop star set to lead a bold new wave in music he’s dubbed A-pop, short for artificial pop.
Stage Zero is a collaborative effort between Timbaland and film producer Rocky Mudaliar, who told Rolling Stone that TaTa offers an exciting preview of what’s possible when advanced tech merges with creative artistry. The seeds of this idea were planted when Timbaland linked up with Suno, a generative AI music tool from a company where he now serves as creative director. His experience with Suno opened his eyes to the potential of AI in music after experimenting with the tool using some of his rough song demos. “It came to a point where I’m like, ‘Yo, this voice, it’s amazing.’”
Seeing the new, Guru hit Timbo’s Instagram comments, with a message: “this aint it.”
“Do you not realize what is going on in the world,” Guru wrote. “Your voice is powerful and way too important to do anything like this. I have students that worship you. They are going to say ‘If Tim can do it, then it is ok for me to do it.'”
Okay, so here’s the thing. Even though no official drop date has been revealed for TaTa’s first single, the team at Stage Zero is already laying the groundwork for her digital identity. They’ve shared a striking visual of TaTa, a digital young woman with bright pink hair, and have plans to expand her presence across platforms like Instagram to begin building a fan base.
Naturally, AI in music isn’t without its drama. The space has sparked heated debates about originality, creativity, and legality. Suno is currently under legal fire from the Recording Industry Association of America, which has accused the platform of using millions of copyrighted tracks to train its tech without securing any permission. That legal battle looms large as Timbaland’s commitment to digital music creation unfolds.
The AI revolution is here. Scary times. Save us all.