Hozier responds to Homer Simpson ‘cover’ of ‘Take Me To Church’ – and shares views on use of AI in music

Hozier has responded to a Homer Simpson ‘cover’ of ‘Take Me To Church’ and shared his opinion on use of AI in music

In a new interview with Radio X’s Dan O’Connell, the Irish singer opened up about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and its use for “silly” and “harmless” things as well as bigger concerns it may have when it comes to original music.

After being asked if he has heard his voice used by AI to cover other random tracks, he replied: “I haven’t heard my voice being used on other stuff. I think I’ve heard maybe ‘Take Me To Church’ as my voice as maybe Homer Simpson or something like that”.

Hozier talks about AI technology on Radio X
“I don’t think I’ve heard me taking on Megan Thee Stallion” pic.twitter.com/uNl0MO3IFi

— daily hozier pics & vids (@dailyhozierpics) April 10, 2024

He continued: “I think that stuff is the more sort of silly, harmless stuff. It is kinda weird, yeah. I think it’s just fun. I think it’s just people playing with the technology for stuff like that. The more complex, long-term stuff of AI when music catalogues are being trained for generative stuff is where we’re in the bigger questions…”

The AI cover of Homer Simpson covering Hozier’s 2013 hit ‘Take Me To Church’ features the cartoon character’s signature deep voice singing along to the track. Oddly enough, Simpson’s vocals match pretty well with the song.

The Irish singer seems to be the latest musician to have one of his tracks covered by Simpson with the use of AI. Previously, The Libertines reacted to a Homer Simpson AI cover of their song  ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’. There are also Homer Simpson AI covers of the Arctic Monkeys, Limp Bizkit, Muse and more.

Hozier previously shared that he would consider striking over the threat that artificial intelligence (AI) poses to the music industry.

While appearing on episode of Newsnight last summer, the singer explained to presenter Victoria Derbyshire: “Whether [AI is] art or not, I think, is nearly a philosophical debate.

“It can’t create something based on a human experience. So I don’t know if it meets the definition of art.”

He continued: “Actors at the moment… there’s huge strikes on at the moment. Yeah, a huge part of that is that [AI] can be used to create a product without human labour.”

Elsewhere, Billie Eilish, Robert Smith, Stevie Wonder and Nicki Minaj are just a handful of artists who have recently signed an open letter warning against the “predatory” use of AI in music.