Today’s AI-generated track is the best I’ve heard yet. This one imagines Michael Jackson singing George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper.’
I don’t know what sets it apart. Maybe the programmer has spent more time recreating Jackson’s vocals than others. Or maybe there is some quality in Jackson’s voice that makes it easier to render digitally. Or maybe the AI is on par with the rest but this excellent match of song and performer masks the imperfections. At any rate, this one is pretty special.
I wonder if it’s the nostalgic twinge provided by a collaboration between two artists who died early. Many of the comments on YouTube praise the clip for giving listeners a chance to hear Jackson sing again, and for imagining a team-up that should have happened in real life.
Time can never mend
The careless whispers
Of a good friend
To the heart and mind
Ignorance is kind
There’s no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you’ll find
Should’ve known better, yeah
[Instrumental]
[Verse 1]
I feel so unsure
As I take your hand
And lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies
Something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen
And all its sad goodbyes
[Chorus]
I’m never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it’s easy to pretend
I know you’re not a fool
Should’ve known better than to cheat a friend
And waste a chance that I’ve been given
So I’m never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh
[Verse 2]
Time can never mend
The careless whispers
Of a good friend
To the heart and mind
Ignorance is kind
There’s no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you’ll find
[Chorus]
I’m never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it’s easy to pretend
I know you’re not a fool
Should’ve known better than to cheat a friend
(Should’ve known better, yeah)
And waste a chance that I’ve been given
So I’m never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh
[Post-Chorus]
Never without your love
[Bridge]
Tonight, the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose this crowd
Maybe it’s better this way
We’d hurt each other with the things we want to say
We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
But now, who’s gonna dance with me?
Please stay
[Chorus]
And I’m never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it’s easy to pretend
I know you’re not a fool
Should’ve known better than to cheat a friend
And waste a chance that I’ve been given
So I’m never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh
[Outro]
(Now that you’re gone)
Now that you’re gone
(Now that you’re gone)
Was what I did so wrong, so wrong
That you had to leave me alone?
Meet Me In Montauk 
Pretty damn cool.
I’m sorry, this doesn’t really sound like Michael Jackson to me, and doesn’t sound like how he would interpret this song if he had covered it.
I don’t know, I think if you played this for somebody with no context, they would at least identify the singer as Michael Jackson, even if they guessed it was artificially generated.
interesting I decided to play this and ask Dad who he thought was singing and he immediately said Michael Jackson. I agree it does sound like him but wanted someone who hadn’t read your blog first as a test.