Jorja Smith's label condemns similarities in AI-assisted vocal on HAVEN.'s 'I Run'
The label alleges that Smith was asked to "jump on a remix" of the track after going viral, which it claims was in order to "legitimise" the use of her likeness
Jorja Smith's label FAMM has criticised the similarities between her vocals and the AI-assisted vocals used in viral TikTok track 'I Run'.
Created by English producer HAVEN. (AKA Harrison Walker) and Waypoint, real name Jacob Donaghue, 'I Run' has been at the centre of controversy over its use of AI, having been removed from streaming services several times despite garnering over 1.95 billion views across over 503,000 TikTok videos.
While the UKG-inspired track features the producer's own vocals, manipulated using AI to sound feminine, the track was issued with takedown notices claiming it breached copyright for "impersonating" Smith, preventing it from entering the charts in the US and UK, BBC News reports.
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On Monday, November 24, HAVEN. shared a new version of 'I Run' with recorded vocals from Kaitlin Aragon, though FAMM claims that even the new recording "infringes" on Smith's copyright.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Saturday, November 29, the imprint shared its belief that both versions of 'I Run' "unfairly take advantage of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates."
"We believe that AI was used to write the lyrics and melody of 'I Run'," FAMM's statement continues. "A male vocal was recorded, and AI was used to manipulate the vocal into sounding like Jorja Smith."
"Jorja's name and vocal likeness were then used without permission to suggest to the public that 'I Run' was an unreleased Jorja Smith track."
FAMM also shared screenshots of now-deleted social media posts from HAVEN., which included the hashtag #jorjasmith to promote the original AI-assisted version of 'I Run'.
The label has accused Isekai, Broke, and AAO, the imprints on which the updated version of 'I Run' was released, of "relying on public confusion" over the true origin of the vocal as a "key part" of their marketing strategy.
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FAMM says Smith was asked to "jump on a remix" of the track after it went viral on TikTok, which it claims was in order to "legitimise" the use of her likeness.
The label now says it is working to establish if 'I Run' utilised AI software for the track's melody and lyrics – if proven right, FAMM will then seek royalties for Smith's co-writers "on a pro-rata basis" based on the percentage of tracks worked on in her catalogue.
In a social media post seen by BBC News, the track's second producer, Jacob Donaghue, claimed that AI was only used on 'I Run' to give "our original vocal a female tone".
In a post on TikTok, Harrison Walker shared what appears to be a clip of the track's original stem file, later telling Billboard: "The artists behind HAVEN. are real and human, and all we want to do is make great music for other humans."
Mixmag has contacted HAVEN.'s label representatives for comment.
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter
