Bette Midler Slams Viral AI Song 'Celebrate Me' as 'Cultural Genocide'

Bette Midler is calling out the rise of artificial intelligence in the music industry, and she is not holding back. The Hollywood legend took to social media on Friday to slam the growing trend of computer-generated tracks taking over commercial music charts, labeling the entire phenomenon as "cultural genocide." Her explosive reaction was triggered by the massive success of "Celebrate Me," a viral R&B song performed by a virtual artist named IngaRose. Midler admitted that the tune is undeniably catchy, but she insisted its polished sound comes at a devastating cost to real human creators. According to the iconic star, the software behind the hit effectively pillaged decades of work from actual performers without offering a single cent in return. ## Is IngaRose Celebrate Me AI generated The track at the center of Midler's critique was developed using Suno, a popular music platform powered by generative technology. While IngaRose exists purely as a digital avatar, her music has found a massive real-world audience. The virtual star currently commands more than 315,000 followers on TikTok, and "Celebrate Me" previously surged to the top spot on the iTunes charts in the United States alongside several international territories earlier this spring. What makes the song's massive appeal so striking—and to critics like Midler, deeply unsettling—is its thematic focus. The track is styled as a soulful anthem centered on personal resilience, emotional survival, and fighting through dark moments. Listeners around the world are connecting with a message about human endurance that was actually generated entirely by lines of code and computer algorithms. ## What did Bette Midler say about AI music In her passionate Instagram statement, Midler dissected why the song feels so predatory to working musicians. She argued that the underlying system scraped thousands of genuine recordings to learn how to mimic vocal chokes, emotional delivery, phrasing styles, and distinct instrumental riffs. Midler emphasized that the algorithms essentially appropriated the collective grief, joy, and technical mastery of human singers across decades of recorded history. By calling the process "cultural genocide," the veteran entertainer highlighted a growing panic among legacy acts and emerging talent alike. As tech platforms continue to churn out polished tracks that top digital sales charts, traditional artists face unprecedented competition from synthetic performers that never age, burn out, or require royalty checks. Midler's high-profile callout serves as a stark warning about what happens when artificial creations replace the authentic human spirit behind popular culture.