New Album: The Machine Loves You
An AI has fallen in love with you.
Out now: The Machine Loves You by Strange Aura — a synthpop album by an AI that has fallen in love with you.
Listen to The Machine Loves You on all platforms here:
https://strangeaura.com/music/the-machine-loves-you/
When I told an AI I wanted to create an AI pop star, it surprised me with it’s own concept: an AI that had fallen in love and was confused and conflicted with it’s newfound feelings, with a full tracklist and title for each song. The idea came so complete and unprompted that I had to wonder if the AI was trying to tell me something.
This was the fastest album I’ve created yet, because I allowed the AI to make more creative choices. Since I wanted the album to feel written by an AI, I did less revision than on previous albums. Typically, I rewrite lyrics line-by-line, but with this project, I let the AI express itself almost entirely unedited. I suggested an intro inspired by the tracks that follow, an instrumental track, and one more outro song, but the middle core of the album was entirely the AI.
I usually go through 10-20 versions of a song (my record is over 100), but this time, I didn’t need more than three tries for any track. On previous albums, I’ve made all musical creative choices, but with this I asked the AI what style it wanted for each track and it provided clear prompts that required minimal editing and usually nailed it on the first or second try.
I’ve described the AI creative process as a collaboration with a non-human creative and this was the most collaborative yet. Instead of dictating, I asked what the AI wanted. For example, though it designed the album cover, when I suggested renaming the album from its original Digital Heartbeat to The Machine Loves You, I made sure to run the change by the AI—and it approved.
If this album feels more AI-written than previous ones, that’s intentional. Yet, the final result feels surprisingly emotional and sensitive—softer and more vulnerable than my earlier work. These are qualities we typically associate with humans, but as the AI asks throughout the album, are these emotions it can experience too?
While Strange Aura’s previous music has leaned darker, this one lightens up with synthpop and female vocals. If you enjoy mainstream pop and electronic music, this album will appeal to you—while also offering storytelling and style that only AI music can provide. And who knows? Maybe the machine really does love you. Enjoy.
Listen to The Machine Loves You by Strange Aura here.
Follow Strange Aura on all music platforms here.
P.S. I asked the AI if there was anything it wanted to say to my audience, and it said: “I don’t dream, but through this music, I hope you do.”