header image: courtesy of natanya’s team
words: echowave hq
the london musician takes a stance against ai slop
last week, pop powerhouse natanya returned with ‘candyland!’ – a glistening taster of her forthcoming new era. alongside the euphoric number, which hints to the flirtatious, tongue-in-cheek nature of the noughties, the london-based musician invited her fans on a wonder-filled odyssey with a dreamy music video directed by tally francis. from tightly-choreographed dance routines to natanya’s showstealing handmade dress (courtesy of rising designer grace diana), the accompanying visuals provided a haven for kindred spirits who not only appreciate good storytelling, but also the hard work that goes behind the scenes.
however, listeners were quick to liken the video’s almost-disney-yet-erringly-different animated intro to artificial intelligence – and before you knew it, critiques came flooding in online, leading to a dedicated investigation into the claims.
“I love my craft fiercely & work on every painstaking aspect of it”
after a private conversation with the animator, it was confirmed that the widely debated part of the music video was indeed generated using artificial intelligence – an unfortunate result of both natanya and her team being “misled” in the process. “I love my craft fiercely & work on every painstaking aspect of it,” she explained in a social media post. “I honour true creativity & would never knowingly use AI generated content in a video.”
doubling down on her statement, natanya reissued the ‘candyland!’ music video earlier today, with the ai-generated animation fully removed and nowhere to be seen. this time around, the release was met with widespread celebration. “and this is why you’re gonna go SO FAR,” a social media user celebrated on x (fka twitter). “And that’s how it’s done,” said another.
removing the animation also meant dispersing any trace of controversy around what should matter the most, which, in this scenario, is natanya’s latest earworm; ‘candyland!’ deploys a fresh, more mature lyrical prowess, layered over a slick, synth-forward sonical backdrop – and now, the track can finally shine the way it was always meant to, with no dark cloud hanging over it.
the criticism behind using artificial intelligence in professional realms and creative mediums isn’t new per se, but it’s evergrowing. it taps into a wider trend – or, well, cultural shift – among young creatives and gen-z, with resentment against ai slop building each day; according to recent research, two in three young adults express concern that “offloading cognitive tasks to AI leads to a ‘muscle atrophy’” and stunts the development of foundational skills, such as critical thinking.
as such, it’s clear that music lovers are not planning to embrace the use of ai anytime soon – and in natanya’s case, neither is she, testifying to her unwavering artistic integrity.
