Skip to main content

Home Music Music Features

22 November 2023 5:39 PM

THE CONCEPT A.I. ALBUM: Boi-1da and rising R&B star Bellah’s journey into A.I.-powered music

In partnership with BACARDÍ

By Rolling Stone UK

Composite of Boi-1da on the left and Bellah on the right
Boi-1da and Bellah have joined forces on the upcoming THE CONCEPT A.I. ALBUM (Image: Aijani Payne; Paula `Narcography’ Abu)

Legendary producer Boi-1da is exploring uncharted waters with his latest endeavour – a collaborative EP named THE CONCEPT A.I. ALBUM. 

Developed in partnership with BACARDÍ as part of its Music Liberates Music campaign uplifting emerging global talents, this project sees Boi-1da training proprietary AI systems on his signature production style, making it accessible to fellow musicians. 

“I find that this A.I. tool is a new, more efficient way of doing work,” the producer, who’s worked with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Rihanna, says. “By working with A.I., we have the power to unlock near-limitless creative possibilities and provide opportunities to collaborate in ways we could never previously imagine.”

Boi-1da sits on a couch holding a bottle of Bacardi
“By working with A.I., we have the power to unlock near-limitless creative possibilities” Boi-1da says (Image: Aijani Payne)

To showcase this powerful new production method, Boi-1da has connected with five handpicked rising artists spanning several genres from the UK, US and Canada.  

Each will craft songs using Boi-1da’s A.I.-made demo beats. They will then work one-on-one in the studio with Boi-1da himself to finalise their singles, blending technological capability with human artistry. The results will make up the groundbreaking THE CONCEPT A.I. ALBUM. 

“My motto is always evolve or die,” musician Bellah says, while describing her excitement for her upcoming feature on the album. “I’m actually so intrigued by it all.” 

Bellah, a British R&B singer-songwriter with Nigerian roots, emphasises the significance of authentic storytelling in her craft. Regarding concerns that blossoming A.I. technology may compromise artistic authenticity, Bellah, who likens her intimate words to “the inner pages of a diary,” remains unfazed. 

“It’s art, so life imitates art” – Bellah

“A.I. can’t tell my stories the way I can tell my stories, and it doesn’t have my experience,” she explains. “I think if we use A.I. as a tool to assist, and not as a tool to completely replace, then [artistic integrity] should be preserved. It’s art, so life imitates art.”

Portrait shot of Bellah wearing blue denim
“A.I. can’t tell my stories the way I can tell my stories” (Image: Paula `Narcography’ Abu)

Addressing the reserves some may have around using this still-misunderstood tech, Bellah points out that “evolution has to happen.” 

“Technology has helped music, for how many years? I’m pretty sure this is how the old-school singers felt when autotune was introduced,” she reasons.  

Boi-1da hopes THE CONCEPT A.I. ALBUM will showcase A.I.’s positive applications, empowering rising talents to enhance production values without reliance on traditional labels and studios. He emphasises: “This technology wouldn’t function without me, and it’s so much just an extension of my own self, so I find that this A.I. tool is a new, more efficient way of doing work.” 

THE CONCEPT A.I. ALBUM is available to stream on Spotify now – click here to listen.

In This Article: