«Slop-pop»: Pitchfork trashed Tyga's AI album — zero score and a wave of criticism
The musical landscape continues to be shaken by the debate over the role of artificial intelligence in creativity. At the center of a new scandal is the ninth studio album by American rapper Tyga, released on July 31 under the alter ego Starface. The release, titled $TARFACE, received an unprecedentedly low score—0 out of 10—from the authoritative publication Pitchfork. The last time the editorial board issued such a "zero" verdict was back in 2007.
The conceptual work, inspired by the cult 1983 film "Scarface" and 1980s aesthetics, combines synth-pop, funk, and R&B. The artist himself emphasized on release day that the recording was done on analog equipment from that era, down to the mixing. However, within a week, Tyga made an unexpected admission: in an interview, he confirmed that artificial intelligence was used as a full-fledged tool, comparing the technology to Auto-Tune. Moreover, part of the vocal parts was 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 introduced the term "slop-pop" in his review, describing the result as a faceless mass. As proof, he conducted an experiment: he uploaded tags with Tyga's name and 1980s genre references into the free generator Treblo. The resulting track, in his words, sounded almost identical to the compositions on $TARFACE. At the same time, the critic noted that he is not claiming the album was entirely generated.
The wave of negativity continued beyond Pitchfork. Renowned music reviewer Anthony Fantano, in his video breakdown, refused to give a score, accompanying the release with the label "not music." This case once again sharpens the question I have been raising for months now: the industry is on the brink of a tectonic shift. Recall that according to data from the Deezer service, published in April, the share of AI tracks reached 44% of all new daily uploads.
My analysis: The situation with $TARFACE is not just the failure of a single release, but a marker of an impending legitimacy crisis in music. While labels and streaming services argue over royalties and labeling, artists like Tyga use AI as a "black box," blurring the line between authorial intent and algorithmic generation. Pitchfork's zero score is not a verdict on technology, but a signal to the market: without clear rules and transparency, we risk drowning in "slop-pop," where originality becomes a luxury.