A new milestone in music history has emerged: the AI-powered act known as Xania Monet has become the first artificial intelligence–driven artist to appear on a Billboard radio airplay chart, reaching No. 30 on the Adult R&B Airplay survey for the week of Nov. 1.
Created by poet and songwriter Telisha Jones, who uses the moniker Nikki, Xania Monet is a virtual artist built using the AI music-generation platform Suno. Jones writes the lyrics and basic compositions herself, while the AI handles vocals. The project has attracted notable attention: her song made a debut at No. 1 on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart and entered the Hot R&B Songs chart at No. 20.
In a separate deal that signals how seriously the industry views AI acts, Xania Monet reportedly secured a $3 million recording contract with Hallwood Media. The news has sparked a wider conversation among artists and executives about authenticity, creativity and the role of AI in the future of music.
Among the artists who are speaking out is R&B Grammy-winning artist SZA who posted in a since-deleted Instagram story that the concept of an AI-powered R&B artist devalues the genre’s music.
In September, after Monet landed the contract, Kehlani posted on TikTok that no one could make her respect AI. “There is an AI R&B artist who just signed a multimillion-dollar deal … and the person is doing none of the work,” the artist said. “This is so beyond out of our control.”
@soseriuzradio Kehlani calls $3M deal for AI artist, Xania Monet, disturbing
#kehlani #xaniamonet #foryoupage
Xania Monet’s chart performance breaks a barrier in how music is created and distributed. While many chart-topping songs today are aided by digital tools, this example represents the first where an artist is entirely generated and marketed as a new kind of performer.
With this, the music industry faces growing questions: Can an AI artist tour? Who receives royalties overall? What happens to the credit for session musicians, songwriters and producers when an album is generated with minimal human performance?
Regardless, Xania Monet has entered the conversation in a major way. The coming months will likely determine whether AI acts like her become regular fixtures in the industry.