Local singer Queenzy Cheng passed away at 37 on Nov 28, 2023. Photo: Queenzy Cheng/Instagram
Artificial intelligence (AI) has helped complete late Malaysian singer Queenzy Cheng’s Chinese New Year song, Good Luck.
Cheng, who passed away at 37, wrote the track and was scheduled to record it last December. However, she passed away before she could do so.
To honour her memory and fulfil her wish to release this song, music producers Ang Chee Ciang, Chen Weixi and Xu Guowen – with the consent of Cheng’s representatives – used AI to recreate the singer’s voice and figure.
According to China Press, the production team spent nearly two months completing the song and its music video, which notably features an AI version of Cheng. The singer’s sister also makes an appearance at the beginning of the video.
Xu, who has worked with Cheng on multiple CNY songs, said in a statement that he burst into tears when he was processing Good Luck as the AI-generated voice sounded “so much like Queenzy’s”.
Leow Yee Xing, who served as one of the composers on Good Luck added: “Although Queenzy has left us, we hope to use AI technology to recreate and convey her heartfelt blessings for CNY as accurately as possible.”
Meanwhile, Chen admitted that he used to fear AI technology in the past. However, he understood its role in the music industry after “helping a good friend complete an unfinished work”.
It’s reported that Cheng has two additional songs awaiting release, one of which has already been recorded for Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Cheng, best known for her CNY songs, passed away on Nov 28 last year after suffering a brain aneurysm.
She joined M-Girls in 2000 – alongside Angeline Khoo, Crystal Ong and Cass Chin. The group made its debut in 2001.
