Warner Music has signed the first ever record deal with a virtual pop star in what is a potentially seismic moment in the industry — but is facing a backlash online for ‘sexualising a child-like body’ in the avatar’s ‘creepy’ debut music video.
Noonoouri was created in 2018 as an 18-year-old metaverse avatar, before going on to star in fashion campaigns for Dior, Balenciaga and Valentino.
The digital influencer has so far amassed more than 400,000 followers on Instagram and is now set to release her first single Dominoes, which has already had more than 60,000 views on YouTube.
It did not hit the right note with most pop fans, however, as they took to social media to slam Warner’s ‘disgusting’ decision to create ‘pedo clickbait’ with a music video that features Noonoouri wearing Kim Kardashian‘s shapewear brand Skims.
One X user wrote ‘Why….is it a child?’, while another said: ‘Just when I thought they couldn’t sink lower.’
Controversial: Warner Music has signed the first ever record deal with a virtual pop star — but is facing a backlash online for ‘sexualising a child-like body’ in her ‘creepy’ debut music video
Fashionista: Noonoouri was created in 2018 as an 18-year-old metaverse avatar, before going on to star in fashion campaigns for Dior, Balenciaga and Valentino
Others said Noonoouri had the body of a ’12 year old’ and was ‘so disgusting’, while X user Lachlan Blackmore added: ‘Is this the look Warner want to be associated with?’
It is not the first time parents have expressed concern about metaverse characters being ‘hypersexualised’, in particular in relation to the game Avakin Life, where virtual pop star Polar regularly performs to crowds of teenagers.
‘My daughter has been on this app around three months. She is 15. The app alleges safe to play for over 13s. She has met children younger than that, parading their avakin dolls in skimpy underwear, looking for relationships, mentioning sex,’ one parent wrote in a review of the game.
‘What is unclear is how many of these kids are actually kids and not adults looking for kids.’
Avakin Life said at the time that it took teen safety ‘very seriously’, and highlighted that it had a reporting system.
A spokesperson for Warner Music Central Europe said: ‘Noonoouri is a long-standing digital character who we’ve signed to a record deal.
‘She’s not AI generated, though AI assisted tech was used to help create her singing voice.
‘Talented songwriters and musicians wrote and recorded her debut track Dominoes, and we can’t wait for fans to discover it.’
Growing in popularity: The digital influencer has so far amassed more than 400,000 followers on Instagram and is now set to release her first single Dominoes, which has already had more than 60,000 views on YouTube
It did not hit the right note with most pop fans, however, as they took to social media to slam Warner’s ‘disgusting’ decision to create ‘pedo clickbait’ with a music video that features Noonoouri wearing Kim Kardashian ‘s shapewear brand Skims
The company has not revealed how much its record deal with Noonoouri is worth but every singer, songwriter and musician who contributed to the debut track will receive royalties and publishing splits, as is the case with traditional music production.
Noonoouri’s voice has a raspiness to it after being created using generative AI, a technology that takes existing data and transforms it into something entirely new.
It involved taking the recording of a real human singer and modifying it to give the pop star her unique vocal identity.
The character’s debut single features 38-year-old German DJ and music producer Alle Farben, whose real name is Frans Zimmer.
In an Instagram post, Noonoouri wrote: ‘Music plays a big role in my life since the beginnings.
‘It sets me into the mood and nourishes my visions and ideas to bring them to life as a driving force inside of me.
‘Warner Music is the home of a lot of my fave music artists.
‘I cannot be more thankful and honoured to join such a wonderful family, where music tunes are the beat of life.’
Noonoouri’s voice has a raspiness to it after being created using generative AI, a technology that takes existing data and transforms it into something entirely new
In an Instagram post, Noonoouri wrote: ‘Warner Music is the home of a lot of my fave music artists. ‘I cannot be more thankful and honoured to join such a wonderful family, where music tunes are the beat of life’
Teaming up: The character’s debut single features 38-year-old German DJ and music producer Alle Farben (pictured as an avatar with Noonoouri), whose real name is Frans Zimmer
Noonoouri was created by 43-year-old graphic designer Joerg Zuber, from Munich.
Commenting on her debut music video on Instagram, he said: ‘After two years working so hard on this music project, we finally can share this incredible teamwork with world — thank you @warnermusic.de for believing in us #TheBeginning.’
Warner Music’s announcement comes just a month after it emerged that rival Universal Music was in talks with Google to license artists’ voices and melodies so they can be used for songs generated by AI.
Discussions are at a very early stage and no product launch is imminent, but the aim is to come to an agreement whereby more software can be developed that allows fans to create AI songs and pay the owners of the copyright.
Artists would be given the choice of opting in or out of the venture.
It is a similar situation to the one the music business found itself in with the rise of YouTube, where people began using hit songs as soundtracks to videos they had created.
This led to years of legal wrangling over copyright infringement until an agreement was reached that sees the music industry paid about $2 billion (£1.5 billion) a year for user-generated clips.
MailOnline has contacted Warner Music for comment on the concerns that Noonoouri resembles a child.
What AI pop will sound like: How the cloned voices of Harry Styles, Rihanna and Kanye offer a blueprint for the songs of the future
Streaming may have killed off MP3s in the same way the iPod put paid to CDs and cassettes ended the dominance of vinyls.
Each time the music industry has adapted and evolved.
Fake: A ‘deepfake’ has been produced of Rihanna supposedly performing Beyoncé’s Cuff It
But what do record labels have up their sleeves to ward off the threat of artificial intelligence (AI)?
Well, after the emergence of a string of ‘deepfake‘ songs where the likes of Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra and Drake have had their voices convincingly mimicked, the world’s largest record label is taking action.
Universal Music is now in talks with Google to license artists’ voices and melodies so they can be used for songs generated by AI. So how will this new-age music be produced and what does it sound like?
MailOnline takes a look.
Shake up: Universal Music is now in talks with Google to license artists’ voices and melodies so they can be used for songs generated by AI. It follows the emergence of a string of ‘deepfake’ songs where the likes of Drake and Rihanna have had their voices convincingly mimicked
