The Last Song by The Beatles, Restored with AI, Nominated for a Grammy.
It is addressing "Texas Hold 'Em."
The iconic band The Beatles has received two Grammy nominations nearly 50 years after their official split. Their latest song, titled "Now and Then," was restored last year with the help of artificial intelligence and will compete in the Record of the Year category alongside artists like Beyoncé, Charlie XCX, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift. Additionally, the song is nominated for Best Rock Performance, facing off against bands like Green Day, Pearl Jam, and The Black Keys.
"Now and Then," released in November 2023, is a demo recorded by John Lennon in the late 70s. This recording, along with "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love," was delivered in the 90s to the three surviving members of the band with the hope of including it in the project The Beatles Anthology. However, the song was never released at the time due to technological limitations that prevented the separation of Lennon's vocals and piano to achieve a clean sound.
In 2021, filmmaker Peter Jackson and his sound team managed to separate the instruments and vocals using machine learning technology, allowing Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to finally complete the song. Although "Now and Then" was finished with the use of artificial intelligence, it still falls within the Grammy regulations, which state that "only human creators are eligible to be considered for, nominated for, or win a GRAMMY Award"; however, works containing "elements" of AI-generated material are allowed to be eligible in the corresponding categories.
It’s interesting to see "Now and Then" competing in such a contemporary musical landscape alongside Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em," but it has been a long journey. The Beatles’ performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 2.