Updated
Updated · Futurism · Aug 4
Fenix Flexin Denies AI Made Billboard No. 58 Hit 'Rubberz' as Sonauto Clue Fuels Doubts
Updated
Updated · Futurism · Aug 4

Fenix Flexin Denies AI Made Billboard No. 58 Hit 'Rubberz' as Sonauto Clue Fuels Doubts

3 articles · Updated · Futurism · Aug 4

Summary

  • Fenix Flexin said his June single “Rubberz” was not AI-generated after the track climbed to No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and drew widespread scrutiny.
  • Medasin and other critics pointed to a posted snippet with “Sonauto” in the file name — matching an AI music tool that rebranded to Treblo two days before the song’s release.
  • The Verge and songwriter Charlie Harding also cited audio artifacts they said resemble AI output, including brittle hi-hats, low-bitrate-sounding chorus vocals and abrupt reverb cutoffs.
  • A Pro Tools video Fenix shared as proof he made the song by hand failed to settle the dispute, with skeptics saying stems could have been split after generation; he later deleted the clip.
  • The dispute adds to broader music-industry anxiety over generative AI, with Timbaland’s defense of the track intensifying attention because of his public support for AI tools.

Insights

Could bizarre audio artifacts in a viral track be intentional human production, or is generative AI hiding in plain sight?
If a top Billboard hit was secretly crafted by a machine, how will the music industry redefine what makes an artist real?