Suno AI music finally doesn't sound terrible—here's why

The article hinges on a genuine surprise: music made with Suno AI that actually works. The writer, typically skeptical of generative AI in music, finds themselves enjoying "Semiramis' Dream" despite their stated bias against AI music—a contradiction that makes the piece worth attention. The reason for the success, however, is instructive and somewhat deflating to the AI-music narrative: Benja didn't let the tool drive the process. He started with intentional human work (lyrics, vocals, beat collaboration), then used Suno as one step in a multi-step production pipeline, iterating hundreds of times and manually editing in Ableton between cycles. The AI wasn't the primary creative engine; it was a tool deployed within a labor-intensive, deeply human creative process.

Benja's candor about the ethical weight of AI—he acknowledges the environmental damage and offers a wry, nihilistic shrug ("The good guy doesn't win this one")—adds texture. He frames his use of generative AI not as a principled choice but as economic necessity: he cannot afford session musicians. Yet the article also notes a crucial detail: sonically, little in "Semiramis' Dream" could not have been achieved without AI. The backup choir is convincing only because Benja deliberately masked it within hyperpop's own heavily processed aesthetic, a choice that neutralizes rather than exploits the AI tool. The takeaway is subtle but important: when generative AI works in the hands of a skilled artist with clear intent, it works not because the tool is powerful, but because the artist is doing the real work—writing, performing, and editing—and using the AI as one component among many.