For its millions of fans, the Eurovision Song Contest is a showcase of the best pop tracks to come out of Europe and beyond.
But while each act can seem to provide a more outrageous costume, set and musical performance than the last, there are certainly some repeating elements.
These include lyrics which centre on love and relationships, as well as a rousing hook designed to be sung along to, both of which are features of the UK’s entry this year.
To see whether simply amalgamating these common features is actually effective, MailOnline asked AI chatbot ChatGPT to write a Eurovision winning hit.
After being given the prompt ‘Write a song that would win the Eurovision Song Contest’, OpenAI’s bot generated the lyrics to ‘Song of Unity’, as below.
To see whether simply amalgamating these common features is actually effective, MailOnline asks AI chatbot, ChatGPT to write a Eurovision winning hit. Pictured: Mae Muller of the United Kingdom performs during dress rehearsals at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023
After being given the prompt ‘Write a song that would win the Eurovision Song Contest’, OpenAI’s bot generated the lyrics to ‘Song of Unity’
Verse 1:
In the darkness, we find the light
Through the struggles, we learn to fight
We’ll stand together, side by side
With the power of love, we’ll rise
Chorus:
We are one, united in song
Let our voices carry on and on
Through the highs and the lows
Our spirit only grows
We are one, let the music guide us on
Verse 2:
In the moments, when we feel alone
We’ll remember, we’re not on our own
With a melody, we’ll find our way
And let the rhythm carry us away
Chorus:
We are one, united in song
Let our voices carry on and on
Through the highs and the lows
Our spirit only grows
We are one, let the music guide us on
Bridge:
We’ll dance in the moonlight, sing under the stars
Let our love light shine, no matter where we are
We’ll never give up, we’ll never give in
With the power of music, we’ll always win
Chorus:
We are one, united in song
Let our voices carry on and on
Through the highs and the lows
Our spirit only grows
We are one, let the music guide us on
Outro:
We are one, let the music guide us on
We are one, let the music guide us on
We are one, let the music guide us on
To understand how ChatGPT came up with the lyrics to ‘Song of Unity’, it was then asked why the musical features chosen would mean the song could win Eurovision.
The chabot responded: ‘Firstly, the lyrics are positive, inspiring, and have a universal message of unity and togetherness.
‘This is a common theme in many Eurovision songs and can resonate with a wide audience.’
Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest last year, with the Kalush Orchestra performing the song ‘Stefania’, which has lyrics about frontman Oleh Psiuk’s mother.
It is not a particularly happy song, including the line ‘The field is blooming, but her hair is getting grey / Mother, sing me the lullaby, I want to hear your dear word’.
However, due to the country’s invasion from Russia, the words took on a new, powerful meaning, with Psiuk telling the NME that ‘people are perceiving it as if Ukraine is my mother’.
‘That’s why the song has become so close to the Ukrainian people, and it is in the Ukrainian hearts,’ he said.
In 2021, Italian band Måneskin took home the crown with their rock song ‘Zitti E Buoni’, which, underneath references to cigarettes and drug dealers, had an overarching positive message.
Lyrics include ‘You will rise from your oblivion’ and ‘no wind can stop/The natural power/From the right point of view’.
Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest last year, with the Kalush Orchestra (pictured) performing the song ‘Stefania’, which has lyrics about frontman Oleh Psiuk’s mother
In 2021, Italian band Måneskin (pictured) took home the crown with ‘ Zitti E Buoni’, which, underneath references to cigarettes and drug dealers, had an overarching positive message
While rich with uplifting cliches, interestingly, ChatGPT’s track does not refer to the popular lyrical topic of love.
Of the last 20 songs that have won Eurovision, 17 were about relationships and 13 used the word ‘love’, according to lyrics expert Glenn Fosbraey for The Conversation.
Indeed, in 1941, the philosopher Theodor Adorno published an essay entitled ‘On Popular Music’, where he claims that songs that gain popularity had been subjected to ‘standardisation’.
Part of this is that there is a limited range of lyrical topics covered, and are usually ‘mother songs, home songs, nonsense or “novelty” songs, pseudo-nursery rhymes, laments for a lost girl’.
ChatGPT’s explanation of ‘Song of Unity’ goes on to say it has a ‘catchy and memorable’ melody and a hook ‘that can be easily sung and remembered by listeners’.
‘This is important for a Eurovision song, as the audience will only hear it once or twice and needs to be able to remember it to vote for it,’ it said.
Mr Fosbraey also found that all of the last 20 Eurovision-winning songs have repeating choruses, which also helps to make them memorable for voters.
Moreover, when psychologists from the University of Southern California analysed 55 years of the US Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, they found that repetition is the key.
Songs which repeated entire phrases and individual words more often were likely to be commercially successful.
Therefore, the repeating outro of ‘We are one, let the music guide us on’ would likely serve ‘Song of Unity’ well in the Eurovision Song Contest.
While ChatGPT is unable to provide a recording of its AI-generated track, it explains that it intends it to have ‘a good balance of both slower and faster parts’.
This works to both ‘keep the audience engaged throughout’ and ‘showcase the singer’s range and vocal abilities’, it said.
This is backed up by scientific research, which has shown that a good balance of predictability and surprise is crucial for a good pop song.
Music evokes the most pleasure when it encouraged the listener ‘to continuously generate and resolve expectations as the piece unfolds in time’, experts say.
This is not just in tempo, but also in the notes and chords used.
In 2017, neuroscientists from Georgetown University in Washington, USA examined 545 top-selling pop songs to find out what made them so popular.
They analysed the harmonies chord-by-chord, and found that many of them contained an element of ‘harmonic surprise’.
This is an unexpected chord change, which is thought to trigger a rush of dopamine in the brain and gives the listener ‘chills’.
The researchers said the top pop songs mostly have choruses with relatively low harmonic surprise, but are preceded by sections with many rare chords.
The twerk-heavy performance from Spain’s entry Chanel (pictured) last year was said to have ‘perhaps the best choreography in #Eurovision history’ by Twitter users
Through his analysis, Mr Fosbraey also found that 17 out of the last 20 winning Eurovision entries were sung in English, as is ‘Song of Unity’.
This helps to give it its ‘universal appeal’, according to ChatGPT, as it is the most widely understood and commonly used language in EU countries.
The bot added that its track can be ‘performed by a wide range of singers and in different styles’, meaning it could be adapted to ‘stand out’ in the contest.
Finally, ChatGPT says ‘Song of Unity’ has a ‘strong beat and rhythm that can encourage the audience to dance and move along’.
‘Visual performance and showmanship are often key to success,’ it added.
While ultimately coming in third place, the twerk-heavy performance from Spain’s entry Chanel last year was said to have ‘perhaps the best choreography in #Eurovision history’ by Twitter users.
Drake is the victim of fake songs generated by AI – despite record label trying to stop them
Drake has fallen victim to songs created to sound like him via artificial intelligence.
His record label fought to wipe the internet clear of one viral AI song, ‘Heart On My Sleeve’ that was using his likeness as well as fellow artist The Weeknd.
Later, two more appeared on the world wide web across multiple platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, entitled ‘Winters Cold’ and ‘Not a Game’.
The music borrows from the familiar cadence of the longtime rapper/singer-songwriter, complete with a catchy instrumental backing.
Drake has fallen victim to songs created to sound like him via artificial intelligence
