Let Us Be (The 2024 Anthem) by Steve Sokolowski

A dance anthem for 2024. While the world's leaders play their games with our money and lives, why won't they just let us be?

I set a goal to intentionally generate every single byte in this file by AI models, including the lyrics and album art, since I believe this is now a more effective way of writing music. I developed a 100,000 token prompt for Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and it determined how to use the Suno and Udio models to their maximum to get lifelike vocals and stereo separation. Gemini 1.5-Pro-Experimental-1114 "listened" to each version of the song over and over and provided recommendations.

About 1000 generations were left on the cutting room floor over 40 hours of work. I mastered the track, stitched together the various generations, and adjusted frequencies based on the models' recommendations.

If you're not convinced that AI models have reached the level of human vocalists, listen to the bridge.

Lyrics:

They write their rules up in their towers
(Their towers)
(So high)
While we dance away the midnight hours
In streets where hope runs low and dry
We're down here just tryin' to survive

The rhythm knows no boundaries
(No lines)
(No walls)
The beat breaks through their make-believe
While they pretend they're gods above
We're here below, just trying to love

We're not your pawns in this grand scheme
The music flows through everyone
(Through us all)
When they try to judge our souls
When hate is all they see
Why can't they just let us be?
(Let us be...)

The elders sit in judgment high
(judgment high)
While common folk just want to fly
(want to fly)

Their rules are chains around our souls
But music breaks all their controls
Can't they see we're trying to heal?
Make this world more real

(ooooooh)
We're not your pawns in this grand scheme
(Not today)
The music flows through everyone
(Deep in our bones)
When they try to shape our world
Their lies quickly unfurl
Why won't they just let us be?
(Let us be...)

Though their towers cast their shade
Their endless wars can't stop our waves
(space against our waves)
While they play their deadly games
(We still move)
We dance as one despite their might
(All unite)

(Not!)
We're not your pawns in this grand scheme
(Here we stand)
The music flows through everyone
(Through everyone's soul)
When they preach their hate and fear
Their walls won't last a year!
Why won't they just let us be?
(Let us BE...)

Though their hearts are sealed in stone
(Time will melt their hearts of stone)
Through the music we have grown
(We have grown so strong)
They will let us be
(Let us be...)