Xania Monet.
Who is this?
No, seriously. Who is this?
Xania Monet is an R&B newcomer now spinning on radio. She just cracked the Billboard Hot 100, and she’s sitting at No. 30 on the Mediabase R&B chart, ahead of Leon Thomas, Teyana Taylor, and Ella Mai.
There’s just one problem.
She’s not real.
No label dinner. No artist showcase or “this is my year” post with a praying-hands emoji.
An AI-generated artist, written by Mississippi poet Telisha “Nikki” Jones, voiced by machine learning, and charted with the help of programmers from Audacy, Saga, Summit, Connoisseur, and iHeart.
The Charts Don’t Care She’s Fake
- No. 30 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart — the first AI artist to ever do it
- No. 1 on R&B Digital Song Sales
- No. 3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Sales
- No. 22 across all genres
- 44.4 million streams and counting, with over $52K in royalties generated without touring, or a sweaty meet-and-greet in Milwaukee with a PD who just showed up for the picture and didn’t stay for the show
Who Is Xania Monet?
She’s not real.
But the woman behind her is.
Meet Telisha “Nikki” Jones, Mississippi-born, poetry-bred, and currently ghost-singing her way onto about 25 radio stations across America.
Telisha writes it She picks the tone. Sets the vibe. Hits go.
Sung by an R&B artist who isn’t real, who’s now playing on Phil’s “Healing, But Sexy” playlist.
Monet isn’t here to replace Jones though. She’s here because Jones couldn’t afford a studio, session singer, producer, or PR team. So she built one (necessity is the mother of something).
The Artist Isn’t Real But The Budget Definitely Is
Monet signed with Hallwood Media for a reported $3 million.
Yes, million.
As in: the kind of advance human artists usually only see in Drake rumors or TikTok conspiracy threads.
And the team’s not shy about it. “We’re not replacing artists,” said manager Romel Murphy. “We’re just building a new lane.”
The Artists Who Called Cap
(My son taught me to use that word)
Kehlani posted a rant (now, deleted; but not forgotten).
SZA shared the news with a side-eye and a caption: “I don’t f*** with this either.”
Chlöe Bailey: “AI in art should be banned.”
Some called it innovation. Others called it erasure. (Not the 80’s band…but, note to other artists, allusions to Erasure would make me smile, something to consider).
So… What Happens Now?
Somewhere between Spotify streams and lawyer bills, Xania Monet becomes a case study.
Accountants will calculate ROI on AI in all areas of music.
A&R people will evaluate digital delivery and not have to stay out late at concerts.
Record companies will get in bed with Suno and AI music production tools — the same companies that were filing cease and desists two years ago.
Broadcasters will push to lower music royalty fees (I mean, why should I pay a robot the same as Rihanna?).
And while all that’s happening, Timbaland’s getting dragged for trying it first (same, Tim, same *ahem* Ashley).
But while all those things are happening in the background…listeners still liked the song.
Which means the real challenge isn’t AI. It’s us.
Will we double down on songs with presence, production, or performance? Will we champion creators who create for something beyond the feed? Are stations going to proudly say the music on KBCO is crafted by humans, for humans? Will we disclose that AI was used when a song is playing on the rAIdo?
Or will Suno get a ton more subscribers from morning show DJs who now think they can make Song of the Week parodies as well as Jeffrey from Brooke & Jeffrey (Jeff is the O.G. and an American treasure and mastermind, btw)?
Xania Monet’s voice may be fake. But the implications are real.
She’s not the death of music. She’s the mirror we need to look into.
What we choose to reflect back? That’s on us.
“How Was I Supposed to Know?” isn’t just the name of the song, it’s the one thing your brand can’t afford to say when it comes to your stance on AI.
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Phil Becker is a weekly music columnist for Barrett Media who has built his career at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and operations leading brands, marketing, and content teams across more than 200 radio stations worldwide.
Known for being ahead of the curve, he was the first to integrate social influencers into broadcast brands, launch station apps years before his peers, and pioneer AI air personalities before anyone else in the world.
With leadership roles at Clear Channel, Citadel, Cox Media Group, Alpha Media, and international ventures—as well as owning and operating stations—Phil blends entrepreneurial vision with operational discipline in the messaging and marketing space. He also hosts the Phil-Osophy podcast.
