Jamaican women in the dancehall, walk a fine line: they capitalize on sex appeal to gain visibility while navigating conservative cultural norms, industry hesitation, and double standards. Provocative image, unapologetic rawness, and sultry aesthetic are central to their artistry.
But for labels, AI offers the same allure at far lower risk and according to one label executive. Speaking on condition of anonymity on the future of music, he says it is low risk and high returns, “The human costs to sign a female artist are high and there are many things than can derail careers while Avatars can remain ‘forever 21,’ avoid controversy, and scale infinitely across international markets.”.
Over the past year, record labels have poured millions into AI-generated performers — even as leading women in reggae and dancehall Shenseea, Jada Kingdom and Lila Iké are quietly released from major label contracts.
Take Xania Monet, an AI persona powered by Timbaland’s tech company. Despite having no touring history or traditional catalog, Monet — created by Mississippi-based Talisha Jones using Suno’s AI technology — sparked a bidding war among labels, culminating in a multimillion-dollar deal with Hallwood Media, with offers reportedly reaching $3 million.
In just two months, Monet has accumulated over 17 million on-demand streams in the U.S., generating an estimated $52,000 from her five-song catalog. Her breakout single, “How Was I Supposed to Know?”, has logged 3 million streams and $21,800 in royalties, with other tracks earning between $5,500 and $10,000. Billboard estimates her revenue potential rivals human acts, though legal uncertainties remain: the U.S. Copyright Office recognizes only works with clear human authorship. Other AI acts, including Vinih Pray and The Velvet Sundown, have also charted and earned revenue, signaling that AI-generated music is now commercially viable.
AI-generated models already generate hundreds of millions in ad revenue globally, backed by venture capital as “scalable stars.” “Avatars can remain perpetually youthful, avoid scandal, adapt to multiple genres, and release music simultaneously across markets — advantages that human performers, particularly women from Jamaica, cannot match without significant investment,” said one top music executive to WMV.
Virtual performers like Lil Miquela exemplify the appeal with over 2 million followers on Instagram: she has secured record deals and brand campaigns with Calvin Klein and Prada, selling the same “sex-adjacent fantasy” as human artists, but without styling budgets, PR teams, or the risk of scandal. As one Reddit user observed, “No mic. No mixing. No label. Just smart systems and consistency. It’s the only method I’ve used that still works and keeps scaling.”
Gregory Walfish, co-founder of Xposure Music, notes the potential scale of disruption: “AI-generated music could constitute 20% of traditional music streaming revenues and 60% of music libraries’ revenues by 2028,” citing a CISAC study. Tools like OpenAI’s Jukebox, AIVA, and Amper Music can produce tracks rapidly and cost-effectively, threatening the value of traditional catalogs. Walfish adds, “The rise of AI introduces an unprecedented level of competition for traditional music catalogs,” potentially reducing demand for older or niche collections. Yet, he stresses that “original music catalogs hold emotional and historical significance that AI-generated tracks cannot replicate.”
Commercial Disparities
Buju Banton’s Upside Down 2020 sold 2,900 first-week units, while Born for Greatness debuted with 2,600. Koffee’s Gifted, the most commercially successful female reggae album recently, sold over 250,000 U.S. units and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. Shenseea’s Alpha moved 60,000 units in its first year. Other releases, including Sean Paul’s Scorcha (1,700 units) and Skillibeng’s Crocodile Teeth (627 units), show generally modest sales despite major-label backing.
Murray Elias, music executive and producer of Sean Paul’s I’m Still in Love With You, sparked a debate in 2024, by claiming that Afrobeats artists outperform Jamaican reggae and dancehall performers in songwriting, vocals, and commercial appeal. Speaking on World Music Views’ Instagram, Elias said, “The Afrobeats Music Industry is well-funded and well-run, and the major labels see where it makes money.” He criticized recent Jamaican signings, calling Shenseea a flop despite her high-profile features, and noted that Protoje and Lila Iké “flopped and were just dropped.”
Caribbean genres risk being underrepresented, flattened into stereotypes, and further marginalized but our source at the major record label suggest that, “Female Caribbean artists may need to bypass majors, relying more on indie releases, direct-to-fan streaming, and regional or pan-African partnerships.”
A 2024 International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) study, warns musicians could lose up to 25% of income to AI by 2028 without intervention. “As a result of this exponential growth in the market for music and audiovisual content, the future revenues of Gen AI providers will rise to annual revenues of €4 billion in music (up from €0.1 billion in 2023) and €5 billion in audiovisual (up from €0.2 billion) by 2028.”
It suggests that, investment in studios, festivals, and publishing houses can also give artists more control over their careers.
