South Korea’s latest chart sensation has a secret: the singer isn’t human

A South Korean music act called Meomuru has taken the charts by storm with a viral hit that has caught listeners off guard – not just for its sudden popularity, but also because its vocals were generated entirely by artificial intelligence. The track, "Have You Become the Adult You Dreamed Of?," topped Melon's Top 100, South Korea's leading streaming chart.

Meomuru is the brainchild of production duo Glorywave, consisting of Lee Yong-seok and Choi Sung-hyuk. The pair crafted the concept, wrote the lyrics, and utilized AI music platform Suno to create the melody, arrangement, and vocal track. They then edited, mixed, and mastered the final product themselves. The song's success has sparked debate over mandatory labeling of AI-generated music, prompting South Korean lawmakers to examine whether the country's AI Basic Act needs expansion.

The question of what makes an artist has been a hot topic on Meomuru's social media, with comments ranging from concerns over AI to admiration for the catchy tunes. Younger listeners, like university student Shin Ji-hye, see AI-generated music as a potential barrier-breaker for musicians and a way to lower the entry cost for aspiring artists.

However, established musicians criticize AI acts for undercutting the work and livelihood of human performers. AI-generated music has been around in K-pop for nearly three decades, with examples like Adam's virtual boy band that flopped due to high production costs and difficulty building emotional connections with fans. Despite the challenges, experts believe AI music will carve out a distinct genre, with AI acts potentially coexisting alongside human performers.