Recommendations of the Editorial team
These days, artists don’t even have to be real to become a sensation. At least that seems to be the case for neo-soul “musician” Sienna Rose. This week, the “singer” has been the subject of intense debate after listeners and observers online debated whether Rose is actually an artist created by artificial intelligence.
It is very likely that this is exactly the case.
In a statement to ROLLING STONE, streaming service Deezer confirmed “that many of Sienna Rose’s albums and songs on Deezer have been recognized as AI and labeled accordingly.”
Debate reignited after the Golden Globes
Sienna Rose has been the subject of this discussion for about a year now. However, it gained new momentum after the Golden Globe Awards, when Selena Gomez posted an Instagram carousel from the event using Rose’s song “Where Your Warmth Begins.” The song has since been removed from Gomez’s post. Since then, the critical gaze of the Internet public has once again been directed at the musician.
A central point of speculation was Sienna Rose’s Spotify profile. Her bio describes her as an “anonymous neo-soul singer whose music combines the elegance of classic soul with the vulnerability of modern R&B.” The key word here is “anonymous”. An unusual decision for an artist in the 21st century, where visibility is a key factor in fame.
Reach millions despite anonymity
Despite this anonymity, Sienna Rose has 2.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. In addition, three of their songs – “Into the Blue”, “Safe With You” and “Where Your Warmth Begins” – made it onto Spotify’s Viral 50 – USA playlist.
Then there’s the music itself. Sienna Rose’s apparently AI-generated pieces are stylistically reminiscent of real artists like Olivia Dean or Alicia Keys. With lush vocals and gentle piano arrangements.
At the same time, some listeners complain about a “generic” sound. A user on X described his listening experience. “I started listening to Olivia Dean (fantastic). Within two days Spotify recommended Sienna Rose to me, which sounds similar but more generic. After a few songs I realized she is AI. Is this Spotify’s plan to retain power over artists? Clone sound and steal listeners?”
Algorithm instead of discovery
A user also expressed criticism on threads. “Sienna Rose is the ultimate proof that AI music is now good enough. It’s no longer just about the technology, but about it passing the test of average listeners and the Spotify algorithm.” He continued: “When a track is so polished that it fools even Selena Gomez and millions of daily listeners, the algorithm ceases to be a discovery tool. It becomes the delivery mechanism for statistically perfect sound.”
Other voices were more positive. One X user wrote enthusiastically: “I just discovered Sienna Rose?! 10/10 ma’am, get your flowers! Beautiful music.” At the same time, skeptics warned against taking praise from verified accounts seriously: “Don’t fall for these blue checkmarks that try to legitimize Sienna Rose.”
No social traces
It is also noticeable that Sienna Rose has no social media presence – after all, she is anonymous. Many users on Reddit found exactly this suspicious. “I couldn’t find it on any social media – not even general info on Google,” one user wrote. Another added: “I was thinking how reassuring that sounded but then found it strange that I can’t find this ‘artist’ anywhere… I’m done LOL.”
Sienna Rose is the latest case to spark widespread discussion about AI-generated music and artists. Last summer, the band Velvet Sundown caused debate after appearing on popular Spotify playlists and initially claiming not to be AI-generated. Her Spotify bio later clarified that it was “visualized with the assistance of artificial intelligence.”
Platforms are opening up to AI artists
Last year, Glenn McDonald, Spotify’s former Data Alchemist, told Rolling Stone that the increasing visibility of AI artists represents a move away from “comprehensible algorithms that are deeply rooted in real human listening behavior” toward AI-driven systems that recommend songs based on acoustic properties alone.
In September, Spotify announced that AI-generated “bands” and “artists” would be allowed on the platform but should be properly labeled. “We are not here to punish artists who use AI authentically and responsibly,” said Charlie Hellman, VP Global Head of Music Product at Spotify.
“We hope that the use of AI production tools will make artists more creative than ever before.” Despite these guidelines, cases like Sienna Rose or Velvet Sundown show how strongly AI musicians are now represented on the platform.