In Guardians of the Galaxy, there is one scene where Peter Quill is using his mixtape, which is doing much better at transmitting emotions than any of the dialogues. “Awesome Mix Vol. 1.” This is the tape of his mother’s love recorded on cassette and transported across many light years. Everyone who spent the whole night figuring out the order of songs knows why the mixtape is so important. The message has been preserved in a medium.
The act of gifting music is a fundamental behavior of fans. You are not just giving someone a song but also giving a part of yourself and hoping that the recipient will understand the intention. This natural behavior has found a new form of expression in the contemporary world. Today, people can make AI-generated songs that are dedicated to a specific person and are suited for any occasion, be it a birthday or simply an “I saw this and thought of you” moment.
From Burned CDs to Spotify Wrapped
Every generation invented their way of delivering musical messages. Generation X had mixtapes with handwritten labels and the difficult choice of opening song for Side B. Millennials had burned CDs, a bit less romantic but much quicker than mixtapes. And now, we live in the era of streaming services, and Spotify playlists became the simplest way to express yourself musically, as Spotify Wrapped summarizes our listening behavior for the past year.
The limitation here was always the same: you were limited by using someone else’s song. Any mixtape, no matter how personal you try to create, will always consist of someone else’s songs written about their experiences. The songs say something that comes close to what you were trying to say, but never exactly.
This is where personalized AI music comes into play; with platforms such as Hitou, you’ll be able to choose the genre and mood, enter relevant names and memories, and receive an entirely new original song almost instantly. Note, it is neither a cover nor a remix; it is a new song created from scratch, so to speak, with references to things that matter to you and your friends.
The Fandom Instinct, Weaponized for Kindness
If you have ever written fanfiction, made fan edits, or designed any fan art based on an original character, you already have an understanding of the mindset. Fandom is all about taking something that really resonates with you and creating something new from it. Custom music changes the focus from fictional characters to the real-world people, but the principle of creation remains the same.
The special charm of using inside jokes is what makes people enjoy birthday wishes. Anyone can say “Happy Birthday”. However, when someone sings a tune referring to the time when a sister got lost while going to a concert in another state, it makes a much more powerful impact. The reasons for that consist of the specificity which evokes different emotions, and that’s why sometimes even fan fiction work about secondary characters may feel stronger than the original material.
There are also more lows to the stakes of accessibility. For example, not everyone is able to draw their best friend as a fantasy warrior or compose an anthem on guitar for the birthday celebration. However, everyone is capable of filling in a certain blank when it comes to someone they know very well.
The Tape keeps spinning
Can an AI written song be as ‘real’ or ‘genuine’ as a mixtape recorded by hand back in 1987? The purists would say no, and they do have their validity there. After all, taking the time to put together the mix by yourself is a real act of love.
But authenticity has always been not about the medium. Rather, it has always been about the meaning behind: I thought about you and created something. Peter Quill’s mother has not created the ‘Spirit in the Sky.’ She chose it, organized it and gave it to her son. The meaning lies in the action.
Tools change over time. The tape deck was replaced by the CD burner, which was replaced by a list of songs. And now, apparently, a songwriting machine which can memorize the nickname of your brother. The motivation behind everything is as old as fandom itself: I like something and intend to do something about it.
