A song that sounds like it was released by Justin Bieber, with lyrics saying the singer "lost myself at a 'Diddy' party," has racked up millions of views across social platforms including TikTok, X and YouTube. Researchers tell CBS News the song was likely created using artificial intelligence.
The song first surfaced across platforms in April, with one TikTok video amassing 7 million views. It recently went viral after Sean "Diddy" Combs was charged last week with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has denied the charges.
Lyrics include, "Wasn't worth all the fortune and fame" and "I was in it for a new Ferrari, but it cost me way more than my soul." The song appears to reference allegations of sexual abuse and other misconduct at Combs' residences.
There is no record of Bieber releasing the song and it does not appear in his catalog. Representatives for Bieber did not respond to CBS News' request for comment. Bieber was signed by Combs' protégé, Usher, in 2008.
Many social media users pointed out the song seems to sound like it was created with AI; others appeared to believe the song was released by Bieber. The song has been used in more than 4,500 TikTok videos alone, CBS News found.
Google Trends data shows searches for the words "Bieber" and "Diddy" together peaked from late March to early April, around the time the song began circulating on social media, and searches for the two artists peaked again when the song began recirculating in late September.
Expert opinion
CBS News ran the song through multiple AI audio detection tools; several results indicated the audio, or at least parts of it, were likely AI-generated.
In addition, Stephen Stahl, co-founder of Ai-SPY, an AI audio detection tool, told CBS News he believes the song is possibly AI-generated. Stahl said someone likely wrote the lyrics and melody, then uploaded it to a website and used a clone of Justin Bieber's voice to create the song.
"AI is [going to] be able to help anybody create a song easily, quicker, more efficiently," Stahl said. "The downside is that everybody will be able to create a song. So talent is no longer a prerequisite to construct a great song."
Zohaib Ahmed, CEO and founder of Resemble AI, an AI detection company, told CBS News his company's tool found the song is likely AI-generated.
Combs' music catalog saw a jump in streams following his indictment, with an average 18.3% increase the week of his arrest compared to the previous week, according to industry data and analytics company Luminate.
Layla Ferris and Cait Bladt contributed to this report.