Timbaland has debuted the first music video from his AI music “artist” TaTa Taktumi, and, like the headline says, it’s as soulless as you expected it to be, which is something the award-winning producer/rapper previously said about real music.
The song is called “Glitch x Pulse,” which, I don’t know, for a computer masquerading as a person, that’s just a little on the nose not to be either delusionally unintentional or a pointed jab at the haters. (It’s me, I’m haters.)
Out of sheer conviction, I’m choosing not to include the video in this piece, but you can watch the whole thing here on YouTube if you feel so inclined; otherwise, you can see a clip below with an on-point commentary.
He’s a super loser for this omg. https://t.co/3bHF3aiU3m
— miss gurl (@shes_rADIAnt) October 14, 2025
Back in June, it was announced that Timbaland had signed TaTa to his new label, Stage Zero, which is designed to blend human creativity with AI-based sounds to forge new music genres such as something called “A-pop,” which is unnecessarily short for AI pop.
Really, then writing was on the wall here, because just a few months prior, Timbaland went on The Inner Court podcast and stated that he finds new music artists to be very “uninspiring” and their music “soulless,” citing the 2024 presidential election as the reason and saying that he thinks AI can do better.
“You could feel the pressure of the dividedness, and I hate that. This whole election divided us,” Timbaland said at the time. “What I mean by that is it divided the music. The music sounds bland, it sounds boring—it lacks excitement. While we frequently discuss AI, I believe it’s the only entity that embodies a genuine soul right now. It allows for the expression of true feelings, resulting in it coming out beautiful.”
“I feel like right now everything is discombobulated,” he went on to add. “Which aligns with everything in the world. Ain’t no song right now—and y’all gotta admit—that’s grabbing you. Ain’t no theme song for people’s [lives].”
This is, with mostly due respect, a profoundly ridiculous take. I mean, for one example, in this song, the AI mentions Doechii by name. Does Timbaland think Doechii’s music is “soulless?” Are her lyrics “bland” and “boring?”
Just this year, she dropped two platinum-charting singles: “Denial Is a River” and “Anxiety,” which, just based on the data available, is clearly “grabbing” people. (Doechii, in the less than one percent chance you see this, I apologize for dragging you further in, but I would be curious to know your thoughts on being name-dropped by an AI “artist.”)
I could go on and on, but there’s nothing else I can say that I didn’t already say here.
The post Timbaland Debuts AI ‘Artist’ TaTa Taktumi’s First Music Video and It’s as ‘Soulless’ as You Expected It To Be appeared first on VICE.
