In June 2023, an account named Cxaxrxexe grabbed everyone's attention with an entertaining video. It showcased an AI-generated clip featuring Patrick Star from Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants singing a cover song. In this captivating snippet, Patrick's deep baritone voice takes on the 2005 single "Trapped in the Closet” (originally performed by R. Kelly), delivering the melodramatic narrative of a disastrous one-night stand. The account then released covers of Plankton rapping Juvenile’s “Ha” and Squidward singing Keyshia Cole’s “Where Were You” too. It was a hilarious blend of technology, music, and pop culture that instantly hit and spread on meme pages and TikTok.
“It took off,” Cxaxrxexe, who prefers to remain anonymous, tells Complex over the phone. “I had 45 followers, and by the next month or so it was thousands.” Now Cxaxrxexe’s TikTok account currently has more than 80,000 followers and 3.1 million likes.
AI-generated content has become a popular trend on social media over the last year, and several platforms have popped up sharing countless AI-generated images of celebrities such as LeBron James in a Halloween costume, former president Barack Obama dressed as Ice Spice, and cartoon characters like Garfield blinged out in grills and a platinum Rolex.
"It's not here to replace art, but it can be its own thing and maybe an aid in art."
Cxaxrxexe, a California native, tells Complex they’ve “always been interested” in AI technology, but the idea sparked to create their own after seeing an ad on their timeline. “I was actually just on my phone browsing, and I saw an advertisement pop up about how you can turn pictures into words. That's how I became familiar with Al,” they recall. The creator originally shared AI images of celebrities working regular jobs or wearing different outfits, but “it pretty much wasn’t doing anything.” After browsing TikTok, though, they discovered cover videos and decided to give it a shot.
Since June, Cxaxrxexe has created dozens of AI cartoon covers ranging in characters and songs, with another popular character being Family Guy’s Herbert the Pervert, who they’ve had perform Project Pat’s “Take Da Charge.” They share that each video takes about 15 minutes to create, and the creation process is pretty simple. It begins by picking a song—ranging from classic R&B ballads to contemporary rap songs—reflective of Cxaxrxexe’s musical taste.
“I’m a millennial. I’m still pretty young, so I am hip to the new stuff, but the stuff I tend to gravitate to first [is R&B],” they explain. “And then it's the songs that we all know and love, so you can't go wrong with that.”
Selecting which character goes with which cover is also pretty straightforward, they say. “A hardcore rap song, for example, I would think a deeper voice character would sound better on it,” they share, unveiling their thought process. “I would think a falsetto would be good with a light voice. Or if I think it’s going to sound funny, I’ll pick someone that has an outrageous voice as well for sure.”
This simple, yet effective formula has resulted in some comical content. In one video SpongeBob is rapping along to Sexyy Red’s “SkeeYee,” ad-libbing with his signature laugh, and in the other The Simpsons’ Homer is passionately crooning Dru Hill’s “In My Bed.” Cxaxrxexe’s favorite video of the moment is one of their most recent though, depicting Family Guy’s Peter Griffin dancing along to Usher’s single “U Remind Me.”
“I hope that if I do have a response from an artist that they will understand it's all fun.”
The TikTok fame has also rolled over to Twitter and Instagram as well, with many of their videos being shared across all platforms. The only feedback they have not received is from the real artists whose songs they use. If by chance an artist does come across their content, they hope it’s met with positivity.
“I hope that if I do have a response from an artist that they will understand it's all fun,” they say. “I'm not some type of person trying to infringe on anything. I operate out of fair use. But, you know, if there is a time where an artist comes and talks to me or says anything, I hope it's just out of love and just out of fun because we're all just here to laugh.”
Cxaxrxexe and other accounts like it (e.g, @LitCartoons420) are proof that AI-generated content can be fun and harmless. But as AI continues to become more popular in all industries, there has been some concern for what its use in the music industry could mean for the future. Although the creator is not in the tech or music industry, they suggest the future for AI technology in music and pop culture can be bright, if used responsibly. “I believe that it can go far,” they add. “As long as there's mutual respect between the parties involved, which would be the artist and the person that's doing the AI. If they can come to a common ground, then it could be beautiful. It's not here to replace art, but it can be its own thing and maybe an aid in art. So I think the future is great for sure.”
