Is Now and Then Really a New Beatles Song?
Now and Then, a “new” Beatles song, was uploaded to YouTube on November 3 (or thereabouts) and 5 days later had 23 million views.
I should begin by saying that this is not really an analysis of the song itself, which I think is great. But my focus is more on the strangeness of living in a world where technology blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
Music fans, especially those who grew up with the Beatles, are excited that a new, or at least never before released. Beatles song is available. From a musical standpoint, this is a beautiful and moving song that gives us another entry into the band’s already unsurpassed legacy.
However, music that combines work from living and dead artists also raises some questions. The new song and music video was created using AI technology developed by filmmaker Peter Jackson. Apparently a demo tape of the song was originally created by John Lennon.
This is not the first time footage from deceased musicians has been combined with new music but it’s certainly the most ambitious and high profile example. Probably the most famous prior example was the “duet” of Unforgettable between Natalie Cole and her late father Nat King Cole. This came out back in 1991, proving that cutting edge AI technology isn’t needed to pull off such feats.
