The Beatles’ song Now and Then just made history for being the first AI-assisted song to be nominated for a Grammy. Released in November 2023 – nearly 50 years after the famed band broke up – the song features a previously unreleased recording of the late John Lennon singing and playing piano. Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono shared the recording with the rest of the Beatles after his death.
Using advanced machine-learning software, engineers were able to isolate Lennon’s voice from the piano track. Over the course of many years, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the late George Harrison worked on the song and eventually added their parts, creating a new Beatles song featuring all four band members.
Although AI was used in the production of Now and Then, it fits within the guidelines for the Grammys that states “only human creators are eligible” and that work which features “elements of AI material” is allowed in certain categories.
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The nomination comes at a time when the music industry grapples with defining the appropriate use of AI and how it may impact creativity and authenticity in music production. The Grammy recognition also highlights how a song with AI assistance can open up new ways of innovation and creative expression while honoring the legacy of artists. AI is increasingly being used in the music industry, though not everyone is a fan.
The Beatles’ usage is perhaps more acceptable to many fans because it does not fake Lennon’s voice, but simply cleans up a recording of it. A more controversial issue involved the 2023 song Heart On My Sleeve by the musician Ghostwriter, who used AI to mimic the vocals of Drake and The Weeknd without their knowledge or permission. The song was submitted for two Grammy Awards, but it was eventually determined that the song was ineligible.
A 12-minute short film was produced for Now and Then that follows McCartney, Starr and Harrison reuniting in 1994 to work on the track. But after Harrison’s death in 2001, the song was largely untouched again until 2022.
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By then, filmmaker Peter Jackson and his team – while working on the Beatles documentary series Get Back – developed a way to isolate Lennon’s vocals from the rest of the recording. McCartney ultimately recorded some bass; Starr added drums; Harrison’s previously recorded guitar parts were blended in; and eventually, strings were added.
“We’ve all played on it, so it is a genuine Beatle recording,” McCartney said in the short documentary.
Lennon’s son Sean said in the film he was deeply moved by the process that made his father’s voice part of a new Beatles song.
“My dad would have loved that because he was never shy to experiment with recording technology,” Sean Lennon said. “I think it’s really beautiful.”
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He added, “It’s the last song that my dad, Paul, George and Ringo will ever get to make together.”
Now and Then is up for Record of the Year at the Grammys, facing competition from Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Charli XCX. It also earned a nomination for Best Rock Performance, where it’s set to compete against artists such as Green Day and Pearl Jam.
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