Nearly 50 years after the band officially disbanded, The Beatles have been nominated for two Grammy Awards. His latest song, titled “Now and Then,” was restored last year with the help of artificial intelligence and is now nominated for recording of the yearcompeting alongside artists such as Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift. She has also been nominated for best rock performancewhere he will compete against Green Day, Pearl Jam and The Black Keys.
Released in November 2023, “Now and Then” began as a demo recorded by John Lennon in the late ’70s. This recording, along with “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” was given to the three surviving members of the band in the ’90s with the intention of including it on the project The Beatles Anthology.
However, “Now and Then” was never released, as The technology of the time did not allow the voice and the piano to be separated from John for clear sound. But in 2021, filmmaker Peter Jackson and his sound team managed to separate the instruments and vocals using machine learning technology, allowing Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to finally complete the song.
Although “Now and Then” was completed using machine learningthe song still complies with the Grammys’ rules regarding AI. Current guidelines state that “only human creators are eligible to be considered for, nominated for, or win a Grammy Award,” but works that contain “elements” of AI-generated material are “eligible in applicable categories.”
We’ll see how The Beatles do at the 2025 Grammy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, February 2.
