On the verge of a cultural revolution that fuses art, music and cutting-edge technology, we have here the first release from virtual girl group Pixielated. Powered by generative AI in all of its forms, the pop act makes their real world debut with “AI Superstar”, a pop single that forces us to think outside of regular-shaped boxes just by simply existing.
Everything about Pixielated is AI generated, from the sound design to world-building to strong visual appeal. It’s a lot to wrap our heads around, since their creators have fully developed not only their music but also personality, aesthetic and “seasonal energy” based around colors and, as the name implies, Earth’s own seasons symbolizing the passage of time. It’s an ambitious project that aims to gather all that AI can do in one singular place, offering a new perspective on what the future of music can hold.
“AI Superstar”, at its core, is a pretty straightforward pop song with catchy dancable hooks and an underlying mainstrem pop rock tone that suits the vibe perfectly. The lyrics are very meta, openly mentioning the fact that all of this is generated by AI, and it does an excellent job in actually conveying a sympathetic and genuine emotional response. Its futuristic soundscape feels absurdly real and like something that could’ve been done by current flesh and blood pop stars like Tate McRare, further cementing Pixielated as a force to be reckoned with in the real world.
It is an imaginative endeavour of fully realized proportions, crafting simple but evocative melodies and top-notch vocal performances capable of fooling any distracted members of its audience. “AI Superstar” also utilizes humor to the best of its abilities, relying on the same meta-narrative explored by Felicia Day’s The Guild webseries and its track “Do You Wanna Date My Avatar?” from 2009, giving it a certain nostalgic feeling that catches up very well with the maximalist landscape presented as novelty on Pixielated’s debut single.
Alongside “AI Superstar”, the group is also releasing a surprise track called “Glitch in My Heart” and this is the one that actually feels utterly impressive and human-like. Borrowing from the fembot narratives employed by Robyn and Charli XCX over the last decade, “Glitch in My Heart” stands as a stellar pop track filled with impeccable hooks that pave their way as a truly innovative pop sound.
“Glitch in My Heart” offers magnificent melodies with an emotionally appealing tone, as the lyrics beg for a reboot after finding an unrequited love. It’s the type of pop track that someone like Grimes could only dream about, turning Pixielated from an online project into a real-world one with heartfelt delivery and heartbreaking storytelling.
Pixielated is a pop group unlike any other, and one could easily dismiss their whole premise as an attention-grabbing software sell point. But that is far beyond the truth, as their creators go the extra mile in order to make their songs sound and feel incredibly real. You can’t help but find yourself earnestly yearning alongside a song like “Glitch in My Heart”, because the feelings are way too real. It ultimately doesn’t matter if the girls in it are made of flesh and bone or algorithms if they’re able to provoke strong human emotions, and Pixielated most definitely can.
“The release is evolving into a 3-song debut trilogy, telling the story of Synthia, the spring fairy who starts to awaken. The final track (inspired by the current doll trend) brings everything together and leans into the themes of identity, love, and what it means to be real.” Pixielated
A girl group from the future that manages to sound like the past three decades of pop music at once, Pixielated makes one hell of a splash on the dance pop scene. A truly innovative way of creating music that knows its limits and how to appeal to a real human audience instead of simply acting like AI showoffs, their triple-single debut is one for the history books.
Indie rock act Say Hi to Your Mom opened their 2004 classic record Numbers & Mumbles with a track called “Pop Music of the Future”. It tells the story of a girl who sings pop from an untouchable and ever-changing space, and even though it sounds nothing like Pixielated in any way, it feels like this is the future Eric Elbogen was already talking about. The human appeal that Pixielated manages to achieve is fascinating, in a Black Mirror-esque fashion that culminates in creativity and playfulness. The three tracks deserve recognition as one-of-a-kind pieces of music, carving their path and reshaping what pop music can sound like – and it all starts right here.
STREAM “AI SUPERSTAR” NOW!
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You can find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Female Rising Stars, Debut Bands (Off The Radar), and Unknown but Essentials!
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the center didn’t hold