Paris Paloma has shared new track 'Miyazaki' in defence of human creativity

Paris Paloma has returned with 'Miyazaki', a new single inspired by Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki and his vocal opposition to AI-generated art. The track, which premiered as BBC Radio 1's Hottest Record, addresses the drive to make art in a landscape increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

Georgie Cowan-Turner directs the accompanying video, in which Paris takes on the role of The Soldier, fleeing from a shadowy, never-fully-revealed antagonist. The creature's design draws from an AI zombie once shown to Miyazaki, which he dismissed as "an insult to life itself".

Paris Paloma explains: "I wrote this song about art, about the burning, urgent desire to create art as my way of making sense of the world, and as my way of resisting darkness and hatred. It's a defiant song, about defending the human need of artistic creation in a world that is increasingly devaluing it in the face of AI; that's why it is named after renowned director Hayao Miyazaki, who famously called generative AI in animation 'an insult to life itself.' I wrote this song for everyone who has an urgent and unexplained need to express themselves through their art; it is for the painters, the dancers, the writers, the storytellers, the crafters, the directors, the singers, musicians, anybody who relates to this creative fire, and the threat that AI generated slop might take the place of essential humanity."

Prior to 'Miyazaki', Paris put out 'Good Girl', a track tackling diet culture and the pressures of the male gaze, with a Georgie Cowan-Turner-directed video starring Richard Armitage. Before that came 'Good Boy', which opens with a contribution from Emma Thompson and features actor Tom Blyth in its video. All three singles sit alongside her 2024 debut album 'Cacophony'.

A sold-out arena run across the UK and Europe with Florence + The Machine wrapped up recently, during which Florence herself appeared on stage alongside Paris in Berlin to perform 'Labour'. A string of European and international festival appearances follow this summer. The dates in full read:

JULY
3 Rock Werchter, Werchter, Belgium
9 Bilbao BBK Live, Bilbao, Spain
17 Colours of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
31 Hinterland Music Festival, Saint Charles, IA, USA

AUGUST
13 Sziget, Budapest, Hungary
14 Syd For Solen, Copenhagen, Denmark
15 MS Dockville, Hamburg, Germany
16 Summer's End Angus, Angus, United Kingdom