Timbaland isn’t impressed with the current state of music. In a recent episode of The Inner Court podcast, the legendary Grammy award-winning producer shared his thoughts on today’s industry, describing it as “uninspiring” and lacking emotion. He admitted that no recent releases have truly grabbed his attention or made him feel anything.
However, the Virginia-born hitmaker did highlight one source of inspiration: artificial intelligence. Timbaland suggested that AI-generated music carries more emotion than many of today’s artists, blaming the industry’s creative slump on societal division.
“You could feel the pressure of the dividedness, and I hate that. This whole election divided us,” the “Say Something” producer said. “What I mean by that is it divided the music. The music sounds bland, it sounds boring—it lacks excitement. While we frequently discuss AI, I believe it’s the only entity that embodies a genuine soul right now. It allows for the expression of true feelings, resulting in it coming out beautiful.”
Timbaland went on to say that no current songs serve as defining anthems for people’s lives. “I feel like right now everything is discombobulated, which aligns with everything in the world. Ain’t no song right now—and y’all gotta admit—that’s grabbing you. Ain’t no theme song for people’s [lives].”
The producer also recently reflected on his past struggles with addiction and how it shaped his music. During an appearance on The Pivot podcast, he admitted that he was high while producing major albums like Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience, JAY-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, and Beyoncé’s Drunk in Love. Though those projects were commercially successful, he believes they don’t measure up to the work he created while sober.
“It was fun. Those were cool albums, but my best work was done when I wasn’t on drugs. That’s facts,” he said. “Even though it was still good, that’s just God-given talent in me. Like, God still having his hand on me—that’s why those songs were still beautiful, but they don’t have like [Timberlake’s] FutureSex/LoveSounds in them.”
Timbaland pointed to records like Aaliyah’s One in a Million, JAY-Z’s Dirt Off Your Shoulder, and Big Pimpin’ as some of his greatest work, songs he made before addiction took a toll. Now, as he watches the industry shift, he sees AI stepping in where human creativity seems to be faltering.
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