“Slop-pop”: Pitchfork trashes Tyga’s AI album, giving it a zero rating
The music industry continues to be shaken by the integration of artificial intelligence, and the latest example is the ninth studio album by Tyga under the pseudonym $TARFACE. The release, which came out on July 31, received an unprecedentedly low score from the authoritative publication Pitchfork — 0 out of 10. The last time such a "distinguished" result was recorded was in 2007, when the editorial board panned the compilation This Is Next.
The conceptual work, inspired by the cult 1983 film "Scarface" and 1980s aesthetics, includes 10 tracks in the genres of synth-pop, funk, and R&B. On the day of the release, the rapper himself talked about working on analog equipment from that era, emphasizing that even the mixing was done on old hardware. However, within a week, Tyga admitted to using AI, comparing the technology to autotune. According to him, some of the vocal parts were created using the Suno service.
"We definitely used AI as a tool. I know people will get angry at these words, but technology is moving exactly in that direction," the rapper stated.
Pitchfork critic Drew Millard in his review dubbed the record "slop-pop" (from the English slop — "swill"). He conducted an experiment: he entered tags with Tyga's name and 1980s genres into the free generator Treblo, and the service produced a track that sounded almost identical to $TARFACE. At the same time, Millard noted that he does not claim the album was entirely generated, but he clearly hints at formulaic nature and a lack of artistic value.
The wave of criticism continued on August 14, when well-known music reviewer Anthony Fantano released a video breakdown of the work. Instead of a traditional rating, he marked it as "not music," which became a symbolic verdict for the release.
This case is a vivid illustration of the growing tension around AI in creative industries. According to my monitoring data, back in April, the French streaming service Deezer reported that AI tracks make up 44% of all new daily uploads. That figure is colossal, and it will only grow.
My professional commentary: The situation with $TARFACE is not just the failure of a single release, but a marker of a systemic crisis. The market is being flooded with content where technology replaces creativity, and artists try to mimic trends, forgetting the essence of music. Until the industry develops clear ethical and legal frameworks for AI, such "slop-pop" experiments will only increase audience distrust and provoke harsh critic reviews. The question is not whether AI can be used, but where the line lies between a tool and the substitution of talent.