In my 60s, taking on the challenge of creating a summer classic with AI—Brazilian-style funk—

Every summer, there are songs that play somewhere.

Just hearing the intro brings the ocean and blue skies to mind.

No matter how many years pass, I remember "that summer."

I wonder if I could create such a summer classic myself.

And this time, I'm going to use AI quite seriously.

My AI songwriting journey, which I started in my 60s.
I decided to be a bit ambitious and take on the challenge of a "summer classic."

*Since I have already explained the techniques of songwriting in detail in my past step-by-step songwriting series, please refer to my past articles regarding songwriting using SUNO and ChatGPT.

First, what kind of summer song should it be?

This time, the first thing I thought about wasn't the melody.

What kind of summer do I want to depict?

Just being refreshing is a little unsatisfying.

On the other hand, leaning too much into stylish bossa nova doesn't feel right either.

Something you'd want to hum along to while driving by the beach.

Something with a good groove, a bit frivolous.

But, somehow comfortable.

That's the kind of song I wanted to make.

So, I thought of...

Funk × Bossa Nova × Fusion

as the combination.

The groove of funk.

The lightness of bossa nova.

Adding the sounds of modern fusion to it.

And one more thing.

I made the lyrics in Portuguese.

Why Portuguese?

Portuguese has a mysterious resonance.

While it is a Latin language, it feels soft, and at times, possesses an elegance similar to French.

Above all, it is a perfect match for bossa nova.

I decided on the title for this piece:

“Luz do Verão (Summer Light)”

I chose that.

The opening lines are very simple.

Luz do verão
No vidro do bar

“Summer light”
“On the cafe windowpane”

And then,

Seu sorriso acende
Meu lugar

“Your smile illuminates my place”

Summer sunshine.

A seaside cafe.

The smile of someone I love.

Warm sandy beach.

Blue sky.

Sea breeze.

Walking along the shore together.

Nothing special happens.

But the summers we look back on later are often just days like that.

Since it's a summer song, I won't sing about anything complicated.

I kept the chorus simple, too.

Luz do verão
Meu amor
Vento do mar
Vem cantar

"Summer light"
"My love"
"Sea breeze, come and sing"

Just that.

This time, rather than explaining a detailed story, I wanted to make a song where listeners could project their own summers onto it.

In the second half, it moves to the seaside at dusk,

and at the end,

Nosso verão
Sempre será

"Our summer will be forever"

it ends with that.

Of course, summer really does end.

Love might end, too.

Even so, the scenery of a certain summer strangely remains in the heart for a long time.

That was the kind of song I wanted to make.

And so, I began turning it into a "song" using AI.

This is where the practical part of this project begins.

The lyrics were a collaboration with AI.

I came up with the scenes, the story, and the nuances of the words, and then worked back and forth with the AI to polish them into Portuguese lyrics.

On the other hand, the AI took the lead on the composition.

Therefore, I have no intention of saying, "I composed the whole thing myself."

However, it wasn't a case of just pressing a button once and having it finished, either.

I listen to it.

It's not right.

I make it again.

"Make it catchier."

"Bring the horns to the front."

"Make the funk stronger."

"But I want to keep the lightness of bossa nova."

"Make it feel a bit more like summer."

I listen again.

Still not right.

I make it again.

I repeated this process.

What I learned from trying AI music composition

This was the interesting part.

AI can certainly create songs for you.

However,

it won't decide 'what you want to create' for you.

This is surprisingly significant.

To use an architectural analogy,

I am the architect.

AI is a very skilled craftsman.

It's close to that kind of relationship.

If the architect just says,

'Please build me a house that looks cool somehow,'

it's hard to get the house you envisioned.

Music was the same.

What kind of rhythm is it?

What kind of scenery is it?

Who is listening to it?

What kind of feeling do I want them to have?

The more I thought about these things for myself, the more specific my orders to the AI became.

We have entered an era where you can create music even in your 60s

This is quite a big change for me.

Until recently, there were significant hurdles to shaping a single song.

Playing an instrument.

Learning chords.

Arranging.

Recording.

Singing.

Mixing.

Of course, the value of those who can do these things themselves has not disappeared.

In fact, once you actually try AI music composition, you realize that the more musical knowledge you have, the better you can use AI.

However, the entry point has become tremendously wider.

Even from your 60s,

"I want to try making a song like this"

is where you can start.

This is genuinely interesting.

The completed "Luz do Verão"

Listening back to the finished song, it turned out to be more laid-back than I had first imagined.

Horns blare.

Rhythm guitar strums.

Chorus layers in.

A breeze of bossa nova blows through the funk groove.

Passionate.

Catchy.

And, in a good way, popular.

I like it.

Summer music suits that kind of lightheartedness.

In the age of AI, the role of humans has become clearer.

AI will likely become even better at making music from here on out.

Perhaps in a few years, it will be possible to create professional-grade songs much more easily than now.

Even so,

"It would be fun if there were a song like this"

"This summer, I want to turn this scenery into music"

That initial spark of thought remains on the human side.

Rather than seeing AI as something that creates for me, I want to use it as a creative partner to nurture works together.

I never thought that after turning 60, I would be making a Portuguese summer funk-bossa nova song.

That is why it is interesting.

Life still has ways of playing that I have yet to discover.

If you happen to go for a drive this summer, I would like you to open the window a little and listen to it.

"Luz do Verão".

This song will surely suit the summer breeze.

▼ Luz do Verão (Summer Light)

Takeaways for today

Perhaps because we live in an era where AI can create works of art, thinking about 'what I want to create' might be the most important job for a human.

#LifeReignited
#InMy60s
#AIComposition
#Songwriting
#OriginalSong
#Suno
#LuzDoVerão
#Portuguese
#BossaNova
#Funk
#SummerSong
#MusicProduction

[Another challenge started in my 60s]
As part of reigniting my life, I am also working on writing novels.
I am currently publishing fairy tales on TALES.
It is a slightly different world from note, but this is also an important creative activity for me.
If you are interested, please take a look.

▼ TALES work page
(Link)