[E-Daily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] A voice generated by artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the "Top 5" of a domestic music chart for the first time. Moving beyond its role as an auxiliary tool for composing and arranging, AI is now taking on vocal duties, shaking up the competitive landscape of the music industry. The line between humans and AI in the music industry continues to blur.

◇ AI Vocal Track Ranks No. 3 on Melon… Moving Beyond Composition to Vocals

According to the music industry on the 14th, “Have I Become the Adult I Dreamed Of?”, released last June by music creator Mureum, climbed to No. 3 on Melon’s Top 100 chart—South Korea’s largest music streaming site—on the 13th. It rose 15 spots from No. 18 on the 2nd, a climb of just over ten days. This marks the first time a song featuring AI vocals has reached the top ranks of a chart where popular idols and top-tier singers compete.

The song is a rock ballad that captures the weight of reality faced after becoming an adult. While it features a deeply emotive voice, it was not sung by an actual singer. Meomureu handled the planning, lyrics, and production, while the vocals were generated using the AI music program “Suno.”

Previously, “Forest of the Heart,” a song written, composed, and performed entirely by generative AI by music creator Joseon Hip-Hop, also drew attention by entering Melon’s Top 100. The song’s highest ranking was No. 89. Among listeners, those in their 40s accounted for 39%, and those in their 30s accounted for 32%. This shows that AI music is being consumed across a wide range of age groups, moving beyond the curiosity of the younger generation.

Music production using AI began in earnest in 2021. At that time, singer Hong Jin-young performed the song “Love Is 24 Hours,” created by the AI composer “Lee Bom.” The field has evolved from a stage where AI composed and humans sang to one where AI now handles the vocals as well, competing on music charts. Last year, the song “Rise” released by Deuce featured the voice of the late Kim Sung-jae, which was restored using AI.

Listener reactions have been mixed. Some netizens expressed positive views, saying, “Unlike the formulaic music of idol groups, I can relate to the lyrics,” and “I keep listening even after knowing it was sung by AI.” On the other hand, concerns were also raised, such as, “What’s so moving about a song sung by a machine?” and “I don’t know if this is music that was created or just generated.”

◇“AI Is Now an Essential Tool”… Copyright and Revenue Sharing Remain Challenges

AI is also changing the cost structure of music production. Previously, the process required hiring singers, recording, and vocal direction, but AI allows some of these steps to be skipped. With reduced production costs and time, independent creators now have the opportunity to compete with singers from major agencies. For a monthly subscription fee of approximately 12,000 won (based on the SuNo Pro plan), users can create not only compositions and arrangements but also vocal tracks.

One composer stated, “It’s safe to say that almost no composer these days goes without using SuNo. Whether you use it 10% or 100% of the time, it has become an essential tool for composition,” adding, “Now that AI has taken over even the vocal performance, it will become more important to focus on what kind of music you can plan and complete using AI, rather than how well you handle traditional production tools.”

Copyright and revenue distribution remain challenges. In 2022, the Korean Music Copyright Association suspended royalty payments for six songs, including “Love Is 24 Hours,” created by AI composer Lee Bom. In August of this year, the association announced criteria for trust registration regarding the human creative contribution to AI-generated music but withdrew them following controversy. As AI-generated music begins to achieve actual commercial success and generate revenue, it has become urgent to establish standards for recognizing the extent of human creators’ contributions and determining how the resulting revenue should be distributed.

Pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik emphasized, “While it’s difficult to conclude that AI will immediately replace human singers, the fact that an AI-vocal track reached No. 3 on Melon demonstrates that hit songs can be created even without a singer,” adding, “Going forward, it will become even more important to secure unique values that are difficult for AI to replicate—such as an artist’s individuality, narrative, and connection with fans.”