The Beatles Legend Paul McCartney Performs Silent Track for AI Protest Album
The 83-year-old Beatles legend's offering is set to be released as a bonus track on the physical copy of the compilation album âIs This What We Want?â, which was initially released digitally earlier this year and contains silent recordings from empty recording studios to highlight the importance of human contribution in music making.
Los Angeles, November 17: The Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney recently went behind the mic to lend his voice to a "silent" track. The singer-songwriter has performed for the song in protest of the UK governmentâs AI copyright stance, reports âFemale First UKâ.
The 83-year-old Beatles legend's offering is set to be released as a bonus track on the physical copy of the compilation album âIs This What We Want?â, which was initially released digitally earlier this year and contains silent recordings from empty recording studios to highlight the importance of human contribution in music making. âThe Simpsonsâ Emmy-Winning Writer Dan McGrath Passes Away at 61: Beloved Comedy Veteran Known for Iconic Episodes Like âHomerâs Phobiaâ Dies After Stroke.
As per âFemale First UKâ, more than 1,000 artistes, including Kate Bush, Damon Albarn and Annie Lennox, contributed to the album. The tracklisting for âIs This What We Want?â spells out, âThe British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companiesâ.
âWuthering Heightsâ hitmaker Kate, 67, said in a statement, âIn the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?â The physical album will arrive on December 8. All of the profits will benefit the charity Help Musicians, which offers a broad range of support to musicians in times of crisis. Cardi B Embraces Motherhood Again As She Welcomes Her 4th Baby Boy With NFL Star Stefon Diggs.
Macca was also among 400 artists who signed an open letter to Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling for their works to protect against AI learning models. The likes of McCartney, Sir Elton John, Dua Lipa, and Coldplay protested the government's proposal to make creatives "opt out" of having their work used to train AI models.
Macca warned that artistes will be ripped off by this approach. He told the BBC earlier this year, âYou get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they donât own it, and they donât have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it offâ.
Referencing Beatles classic Yesterday, he continued, âThe truth is, the moneyâs going somewhere. Somebodyâs getting paid, so why shouldnât it be the guy who sat down and wrote Yesterday?â He said in a message for the Labour government, âWe are the people, youâre the Government. Youâre supposed to protect us. Thatâs your job. So you know, if youâre putting through a Bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or youâre not going to have themâ.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 17, 2025 11:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
