Prompt, Render, Repeat: Engineering a Viral Track with AI I’m trying to make a hyperpop one-hit wonder with the help of AI. That sentence alone probably raises some eyebrows - and a few expectations. As AI-generated music gains visibility, with acts like Velvet Sundown, Aventhis, and others making headlines, the debate around machine-made art is only getting louder. Some see it as the future. Others dismiss it as soulless RoboParrots. Velvet Sundown Aventhis So, is it cheating? Genius? Just glorified autocomplete, or the 21st century’s best songwriting partner? Personally, I see AI as all of the above. And that It’s best to learn how to use it rather than buck the trend and get left behind. I’ll dive into that thinking more in depth in the next section, but either way, the conversation isn’t going away and this project is my way of stepping into it and sharing any knowledge with anyone interested in tuning in while it’s under construction. The Mind Behind the Machine Before we get into tools and prompts, it’s worth asking: will AI replace us, or just change how we create? Philosophers like Jacques Barzun and Heidegger help frame the question. Barzun argued that art is the fusion of intention and execution. In the context of AI, the human provides the spark—the idea—while the machine acts as executor, extending that intention into form. But Barzun argues that this is not a chicken-and-egg situation. Intention comes first. After all, you can only execute on an idea. If the idea is poor, it doesn’t matter how well it is carried out. AI doesn’t think, dwell, or interpret in the Heideggerian sense. The robots must follow rules. But that’s precisely what makes AI powerful: a well-aimed idea, run through an efficient system, can go further, faster. As a multiplier, AI may prove as transformative as the printing press or the talkies. This human-machine relationship isn’t new. Architects rely on draftspeople. Directors guide entire film crews. Art has always involved translation and collaboration. What matters is vision, and AI still depends entirely on ours. And unless something fundamental changes, it’s going to remain so. For now, perhaps most importantly, AI can lower the barrier to entry. Not every artist has access to a studio or a team. But now, someone with a laptop and an idea can sketch, score, and even perform a track. Execution has never been cheaper. Which makes the idea—the intention—matter more than ever. Booting up the Collab This project is my way of pushing back on the idea that AI art is all hype or soulless. I want to show what AI can actually do—when there’s real vision, taste, and intention behind it. So, we’re making a hyperpop one-hit wonder with AI. Not as a joke or gimmick, but as a hands-on experiment in human–machine collaboration. AI isn’t here to replace creativity, but to boost it. It helps you move faster, test wild ideas, and explore weird directions you might not have found otherwise. But the end result still lives or dies by the artist’s gut. That’s why I’m teaming up with Memo Guerra, an experimental sound designer and producer. We’re putting this idea to the test in a genre that’s already built on bending the rules. v0.1: Song in Progress We set out with one clear goal: to make a single, really impactful song—a one-hit wonder. This meant we needed to keep our focus tight, but on something with big potential. So, I asked about current trends, since one-hit wonders are mostly about what's hot right now. Memo threw out hyperpop. Like many others, I discovered Charli XCX only recently. I knew Charli was popular, and that this style was gaining traction, but I hadn't actually listened to anything hyperpop. Busy with other stuff. Once I finally did, I immediately recognized her influences. After a quick Wikipedia search and some Spotify dives into the bands Wikipedia listed as popular, I started to brainstorm a hook. That part was quick since I'm familiar with the style and hang out with people who dig this kind of music. I already had some musical ideas brewing. Next time, it might be fun to try a genre I know absolutely nothing about. But definitely never something I don't like—it's impossible to create anything decent that way. After cooking up a melody that fit the hyperpop vibe, I jumped into writing the lyrics. Leaning into that punk energy hyperpop's known for, I decided to go with an existential theme. Here's what I came up with: Core Concept: "Decadent Dance" Hook Structure: Line 1: "Don't worry... WRECK IT! This world is decadescent" Line 2: "No sorries, WRECK IT! - cus madness is a blessing" Melodic Framework: C-G-E (don't worry/no sorries) / F-E (WRECK IT!!!) / E-D-E-D-E-D-C (this world is decadescent/madness is a blessing) Key insight: Made-up word "decadescent" captures hyperpop demographic; escalating from comfort to defiance to transcendence Core Concept: "Decadent Dance" Hook Structure: Line 1: "Don't worry... WRECK IT! This world is decadescent" Line 2: "No sorries, WRECK IT! - cus madness is a blessing" Melodic Framework: C-G-E (don't worry/no sorries) / F-E (WRECK IT!!!) / E-D-E-D-E-D-C (this world is decadescent/madness is a blessing) Key insight: Made-up word "decadescent" captures hyperpop demographic; escalating from comfort to defiance to transcendence I sent my idea to Memo, who was curious. He thought it decent, but wanted to hear it using Suno. Their UI needs refinement and documentation improvements, but I eventually bumbled my way to their arcane song editor. Chanting to the Elder Gods for help, I found the upload button and started to worry about what ritual sacrifice must be done just to add a prompt for music generation. Prompt Crafting Suno Prompt: Downtempo Hyperpop instrumental with a glitchy feel, Female vocals—sharp, playful, a little unhinged, Bass hits like the floor of a grimy gas station bathroom—disgustingly crunchy 808s, distorted and blown out, Think bubblegum chaos meets sewer trap Suno Prompt: Downtempo Hyperpop instrumental with a glitchy feel, Female vocals—sharp, playful, a little unhinged, Bass hits like the floor of a grimy gas station bathroom—disgustingly crunchy 808s, distorted and blown out, Think bubblegum chaos meets sewer trap This is where prompt crafting comes in. The more descriptive and concrete you are with Suno, the better your results will be, and that's exactly why prompt crafting is so useful. I gave a rough draft to Claude of more or less what I wanted to have the sound be like, and asked him to enhance it for Suno. After bouncing the prompt around a few times, I came up with this. Prompt crafting is where you can bounce the prompt off your AI assistant over and over until you get something you like, or even try a few options. This part is all about instinct (what Normies call “creativity”). A killer creative prompt is like painting with words. It's super descriptive, almost giving you a picture of the style you're aiming for. After a few attempts, Suno generated a little hyperpop tune I liked for the intro hook. I then accidentally hit "extend," which resulted in about 16 bars of instrumentals. This whoops moment was not so bad, since the instrumental break right at the start has continued to grow on me. Gets you dancing quicker. I also had to tune down the BMP a little bit, to make it more danceable. The higher the BPM, the hardest it is for people to lock into a groove. Another accidental bonus: Suno's use of my ad-lib (a silly little yeah! on the second line of the intro hook) as a scream that sounds like a kettle hitting its boiling point to transition to the instrumental was especially clever from the little RoboParrot. This is the first draft of it so far: https://suno.com/s/dSd6i9ea85bFrhvc?embedable=true https://suno.com/s/dSd6i9ea85bFrhvc?embedable=true So, what's next after the first 24 bars? That's the big question. Maybe we’ll go with this sketch, maybe we’ll find some other musical idea that shows more promise, but this is as good a stopping point as any. We’ll see what happens next update.
