03/03/2025

MONDAY | MAR 3, 2025

26

LYFE

Sound of silence

editors. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is considering overhauling the law to allow AI companies to use creators’ content on the internet to help develop their models, unless rights holders opt out. But, artistes say opting out will be difficult and onerous. Album organiser Ed Newton-Rex said musicians were “united in their thorough condemnation of this ill thought-through plan”. “The government’s proposal would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies, for free, letting those companies exploit musicians’ work to outcompete them. “It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but that is totally unnecessary. The UK can be leaders in AI without throwing our world-leading creative industries under the bus,” he said. The album’s release was timed to coincide with the end of the government’s public consultation on the proposed changes. Starmer previously said the government needs to “get the balance right” with copyright and AI, noting the technology represented “a huge opportunity”. Authors have also spoken out about the UK government’s plans.

o Kate Bush leads musicians in ‘silent album’ AI fight

O VER 1,000 musicians including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox and Damon Albarn released a silent album in protest at proposed changes to UK copyright law around artificial intelligence (AI), which they say will legalise music theft. Is This What We Want featuring recordings of empty studios and performance spaces is part of a growing backlash against the government’s plans. Writers and musicians including Bush also denounced the proposals as a “wholesale giveaway” to Silicon Valley in a letter to The Times newspaper last month. Other signatories included Paul McCartney, Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Sting as well as writers Kazuo Ishiguro, Michael Morpurgo and Helen Fielding. In a rare move, UK newspapers also highlighted their concerns launching a “Make it Fair” campaign featuring wrapround ads on the front of almost every national daily, with an inside editorial by the papers’

Lennox is among the many musicians protesting the new legislation that would affect artiste rights. – AFPPIC

wrote in the Daily Mail . In a rare interview last month, McCartney, 82, one of the two surviving members of The Beatles, told the BBC any new legislation had to protect creative thinkers and artistes, warning “you are not going to have themwithout that. “You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they do not own it — and they do

not have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off. “The truth is, the money’s going somewhere. Somebody’s getting paid, so why should not it be the guy who sat down and wrote ‘Yesterday’?” he said. In 2023, UK music contributed £7.6 billion (RM42.7 billion) to the UK economy, with exports of UK music reaching £4.6 billion. – AFP

Best-selling US writer Scott Turow last week criticised the “cavalier attitude of the British government”, that allows big tech companies to scrape all of books and repackage words as “original content”. “Instead of trying to prevent this, the British government wants to give them a free pass. That will be catastrophic, not just for writers in the UK, but all over the world,” he

Shazza drops new single Midnight SHAZZA, whose real name is Shareefa Aminah, returns with her latest single Midnight , released last week. Featuring close collaborators Umar Sirhan and singer-songwriter Teem, this is Shazza’s first collaborative release of the year and the second single from her upcoming sophomore album. Midnight mixes anthemic wrestling with change and emotional turmoil. The song’s visualiser, out this Wednesday on Shazza’s YouTube channel, portrays the trio navigating everyday life while carrying the weight of heartbreak, mirroring the song’s deep sense of longing.

KiiiKiii brings a fresh and spirited energy to the global K-pop scene.

After an eventful 2024, Shazza kicked off her album rollout with Perfume , cleverly introduced at a perfume launch event at Singapore’s Esplanade Concourse before its streaming release. Now, Midnight adds a deeper, emotional layer to her evolving music.

alt-pop with warm guitar riffs and raw, introspective lyrics. It captures the haunting feeling of lying awake at night, longing for something lost. With soaring hooks and late night melancholia, it speaks to heartbroken romantics and anyone

New K-pop group KiiiKiii debuts with pre-release track I Do Me

STARSHIP has announced its newest rookie girl group KiiiKiii, a dynamic quintet ready to inject fresh energy into K pop culture! Comprising Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum and Kya, KiiiKiii embraces the mantra: “Do not lose your cheerfulness, even in an imperfect reality”. This guiding philosophy fuels its bold and unique artistry, blending coolness and fun to redefine the K pop landscape. With its forthcoming debut EP Entertainment

I Do Me is a vibrant pop-dance number that champions personal authenticity, with lyrics that challenge the status quo. The song strikes a chord with the Gen Z mindset of independence. With its addictive vocal melody and smooth, groovy rhythm, I Do Me creates an atmosphere that is liberating and empowering, showcasing KiiiKiii’s effortless blend of charisma, style and fun. As “Five Gems” of K-pop, KiiiKiii is set to captivate audiences with its storytelling and boundless energy.

Uncut Gem , the group navigates the ever-evolving digital era with innovative music and visually captivating storytelling. The pre-release track I Do Me encapsulates the group’s candid and whimsical approach, painting a vivid picture of youthful freedom and authentic self-expression. The song begins with a series of existential questions, unfolding in a manner that mirrors an intimate conversation, making it a relatable anthem of individuality and defiance against societal pressures.

Shazza is a Singaporean singer-songwriter.