We all dreamt of being in a pop group growing up, but most abandon this dream as we get older—Craig Raybould never did. Thanks to AI advancements, the 43-year-old from Birmingham has achieved his greatest aspiration in forming his very own girl group: Certain Call.
Inspired by the 00s girl groups he grew up with, Certain Call was founded in 2025 and is described as “an AI-created pop-R&B girl group shaped by a human songwriter.” The band is made up of four fictional members, each with their own unique personality: Tahlia, Imani, Sierra, and Maya.
I have my own opinions about whether or not artificial intelligence can create real art. But Craig does play his part in the music. Voices and visual appearance are AI, but he writes all the lyrics himself. He’s also not trying to pretend it’s anything other than what it is—“AI-created”, but “human-led” (interpret how you like).
Certain Call
Certain Call blends nostalgic pop-R&B energy and Y2K style. They already have three albums out (including a Christmas-themed album), with ‘Prepare for the Ride’ the latest release, but fans should expect a lot more where that came from—unlike human girl groups, little can slow down this quartet.
Have I personally listened to any of it? No, I wouldn’t inflict that upon myself. But I have heard enough music from that era to guess. For the more curious among you, you can head to Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music to listen. Certain Call has two million subscribers on YouTube globally already…
Here We Go
Much like Destiny’s Child, Spice Girls, and Sugababes that inspired him, Craig has gone so far as to say the individual members of Certain Call could have their own solo careers—could they even be completely replaced by new members? In an AI world, anything is possible, but will you be listening?
