Velvet Sundown burst onto Spotify earlier this year, quickly racking up more than 1 million monthly listeners despite releasing three albums in just six weeks—all without any human involvement. The band has no real members, no live shows, no interviews, and their artwork is AI‑generated. 

Music critics describe their songs psychedelic folk‑rock with soft vocals as emotionally flat and generic. Yet listeners seem fine using them as harmless background music. This trend fits the newer playlist culture that values mood over artistic meaning. 

Velvet Sundown openly defines itself as an AI project “guided by human direction” and calls itself “not quite human, not quite machine.” But the band was later banned from an AI‑music award for failing to meet ethics and transparency standards. 

This case sparks larger debates. Some worry AI‑made music steals from human artists through sampling or cheap streams, while others say it democratises music creation. Critics warn it weakens real art’s emotional depth. Still, fans may welcome perfectly bland sounds for study or chill sessions.

Velvet Sundown shows AI’s growing role in music. But it also challenges how listeners value authenticity, emotion, and creative credit in an age where synthetic tunes can top charts.