Australia's most played song on radio this week draws AI criticisms

A cover version of Madonna's 1989 hit "Like a Prayer," produced by Queensland-based DJ and producer Josh Fawaz, has become one of Australia's most played songs on the radio this week. The track's success has sparked controversy, with some music industry professionals alleging it was created using artificial intelligence (AI) audio engineering software.

Fawaz has not responded to multiple requests for comment from ABC News regarding the accusations. Meanwhile, Madonna's latest album, "Confessions II," which features new material, has yet to make a significant impact on Australian charts, creating an ironic situation where a 40-year-old song, reimagined by another artist, is currently dominating the airwaves.

Samantha Bennett, a professor of music at the Australian National University and chair of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, commented on the irony. "I would say that that's quite ironic that she releases this album of new material and some of it is quite complex and it's got a lot of depth to it," Professor Bennett said. "And yet a track that is now 40 years old for her … is now, through a cover version, getting 14 million views on YouTube."

Fawaz's "Like a Prayer" cover holds the No. 1 position on the national radio airplay charts, which compile data from 54 commercial radio stations across major Australian cities, as well as from triple j and FBi community radio. It also tops the RCS Media Monitors Top 10 National Songs chart for the past seven days. The song has achieved notable positions on the ARIA charts, reaching No. 4 on the Top 20 Australian Singles and Top 20 Dance Singles charts, and No. 19 on the Top 20 New Music Singles chart. His album, "Dance Like Nobody's Watching," is currently at No. 19 on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Albums chart.

Music producer Mitch Thomas, known by his stage name Needs No Sleep, has been vocal on social media about his concerns regarding Fawaz's suspected use of AI music production tools. He believes that such technology, which allows users to generate songs from text prompts or uploaded audio, constitutes "cheating" in the music industry. The ARIA Charts, which measure music consumption through physical sales, digital downloads, and streaming activity, are the sole indicator of music consumption across Australia each week.

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I would say that that's quite ironic that she releases this album of new material and some of it is quite complex and it's got a lot of depth to it. And yet a track that is now 40 years old for her … is now, through a cover version, getting 14 million views on YouTube.