Brenda Lee’s iconic song revived in Spanish by Universal Music through AI

Universal Music Group has released a Spanish rendition of Brenda Lee’s 1958 hit ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.’ Titled ‘Noche Buena y Navidad,’ the new version was produced using AI technology developed by SoundLabs, with approval from Lee herself and under the guidance of Latin music producer Auero Baqueiro.

The song preserves the original instrumental and background arrangements while substituting Lee’s English vocals with newly generated Spanish vocals. These vocals were created using SoundLabs’ MicDrop, an AI-powered plug-in that replicates voices. The result aims to deliver a performance that feels as though the 13-year-old Brenda Lee recorded it in Spanish from the start.

Universal Music highlighted that the project illustrates how AI can be ethically integrated into music, with full artist consent and creative control. Recent controversies over AI-generated content in entertainment have raised questions about copyright and authenticity, making authorised projects like this one particularly noteworthy.

In June, Universal partnered with SoundLabs to develop official AI-powered vocal models for artists. This approach ensures musicians retain ownership of their voice data and maintain authority over the final output, promoting responsible use of AI in music creation.