“That’s Not Art”: Kehlani Pushes Back as A.I. Act Lands $3M Deal

Singer Kehlani is voicing strong opposition to artificial intelligence encroaching on the music industry, after virtual artist Xania Monet secured a $3 million deal with Hallwood Media and quickly climbed the Billboard charts.

Monet, the creation of poet Telisha Jones, was built using Suno technology, currently mired in copyright disputes with major labels.

Jones’ storytelling-driven lyrics helped the virtual artist land a contract with former Interscope executive Neil Jacobson’s Hallwood Media. Within weeks, Monet’s single “Let Go, Let God” charted on Billboard’s Emerging Artists and Hot Gospel Songs lists, while another track topped R&B digital sales.

Kehlani, however, isn’t impressed. “Maybe she should write a poetry book. I love to support a good poet,” the Grammy-nominated star said. “This is the antithesis of art. Just because you can don’t mean you should.” She added in a social post:

“Nothing and no one on Earth will ever be able to justify A.I. to me. I’m genuinely sad for people who are trying to come up and their space is being taken up by a computer program.”

The singer warned that treating A.I. creations as authentic artistry risks sidelining human musicians struggling to break through. “Art is not a money grab,” Kehlani said. “Music means something significant to culture, to humanity, to people. Me personally, I’m going to value it that way for the rest of my life.”