Politics

Swedish charts exclude AI-created folk-pop hit after investigation reveals artificial origin

Sunday, 18 January 2026 10:44AM UTC

A popular folk-pop track with over five million streams has been removed from Sweden’s official charts after investigators confirmed it was primarily AI-generated, highlighting ongoing tensions over AI's role in music and industry rules.

A folk-pop single that has been streamed millions of times has been barred from Sweden’s official record charts after investigators revealed the credited performer was created using artificial intelligence. According to NME, the track "I Know, You're Not Mine – Jag vet, du är inte min" by the artist Jacub topped Spotify’s list of Sweden’s most popular songs but has now been excluded from Sverigetopplistan after questions over its origin surfaced.^[1]

Industry reporting shows the song has accrued more than five million Spotify streams globally and was especially prominent on Sweden’s Spotify rankings; the Guardian and other outlets note about 200,000 of those plays occurred in Sweden. The single appears on a six-track EP titled "Kärleken är Bränd" (Love is Burned). Journalists and local observers flagged an absence of an established public profile for Jacub, no tours, scarce social media presence and no media appearances, prompting closer scrutiny.^[2]^[5]

Investigative work by Swedish journalist Emanuel Karlsten traced the registration of the song to a team of executives linked to Stellar Music, a Denmark-based publishing and marketing firm, with connections to the company’s AI department. Music publications report the artist credit is effectively a project name, and that the track’s registration details tied it back to people working in Stellar’s AI team.^[1]^[3]^[4]

The producers, styling themselves "Team Jacub," told NME that press coverage had misrepresented their creative process and that AI had been used as an assisting tool rather than as the sole author. "We are not an anonymous tech company that just 'pressed a button,'" they wrote, adding that "The team behind Jacub consists of experienced music creators, songwriters, and producers who have invested a lot of time, care, emotions, and financial resources," and that "Jacub is an artistic project developed and carried by a team of human songwriters, producers, and creators." The group cited the track’s streaming success as evidence of its artistic value.^[1]^[6]

IFPI Sweden has taken an opposing view and removed the track from the national chart roll, saying songs that are "mainly AI-generated" are not eligible for the official top list. Ludvig Werner, head of IFPI Sweden, is quoted explaining that the organisation’s rule disqualifies predominantly AI-created works from Sverigetopplistan.^[1]^[3]^[5]

The incident has been placed in a wider context of rising friction between streaming, copyright and generative technology. Reports note previous examples of AI-created or AI-fronted projects gaining traction, such as Breaking Rust’s "Walk My Walk" topping a Billboard digital chart, the AI creator Sienna Rose achieving millions of Spotify listeners, the Velvet Sundown hoax, and Xania Monet’s commercially significant deals and chart entries, while platforms and rights bodies respond with new rules and removals.^[1]^[3]^[4]

Platforms and services are already taking stances: Bandcamp announced a ban on music made entirely or with heavy reliance on generative AI and invited users to flag suspected AI-generated content for review,while streaming-service research suggests listeners struggle to distinguish AI music from human-made works. Deezer, cited in coverage of the debate, found a high proportion of people unable to tell the difference between AI and human performances, intensifying questions about discoverability, attribution and consumer perception.^[1]

The case crystallises tensions for an industry weighing creative experimentation against transparency and rights protection. As journalists, trade bodies and platforms press for clearer classifications and safeguards, the exclusion of Jacub’s hit from Sweden’s official charts underlines the immediate policy consequences when a work’s provenance is contested and when prevailing rules preclude "mainly AI-generated" pieces from chart recognition.^[2]^[3]^[4]

##Reference Map:

^[1] (NME) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 7, Paragraph 8
^[2] (The Guardian) - Paragraph 2, Paragraph 8
^[3] (MusicRadar) - Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 8
^[4] (Digital Market Reports) - Paragraph 3, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 8
^[5] (Infonasional) - Paragraph 2, Paragraph 5
^[6] (Yahoo) - Paragraph 4, Paragraph 6
^[7] (MyJoyOnline) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 6

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.nme.com/news/music/song-with-millions-of-streams-banned-from-swedish-charts-for-being-ai-creation-3923868 - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/16/partly-ai-generated-folk-pop-hit-barred-from-swedens-official-charts - A hit song titled 'I Know, You're Not Mine' by the artist Jacub has been excluded from Sweden's official chart after it was revealed to be AI-generated. The track topped Spotify's Swedish rankings, amassing over 5 million global streams, including 200,000 in Sweden. The Swedish music trade body, IFPI Sweden, stated that songs predominantly created by AI are ineligible for the official chart. The song is part of a six-track EP called 'Kärleken är Bränd' (Love is Burned).
https://www.musicradar.com/artists/singles-albums/it-does-not-have-the-right-to-be-on-the-top-list-sweden-bans-ai-generated-song-from-its-charts - Sweden has banned an AI-generated song titled 'Jag Vet, Du Är Inte Min' (I Know You're Not Mine) from its national music charts, despite gaining over 5 million Spotify streams. The track, attributed to a mysterious artist named Jacub, was exposed as a product of Stellar Music’s AI department by investigative journalist Emanuel Karlsten. The company admitted to using AI tools but emphasized human involvement in the songwriting and production process. However, the Swedish IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) ruled that predominantly AI-generated songs are not eligible for chart inclusion.
https://digitalmarketreports.com/news/59015/ai-created-song-tops-spotify-in-sweden-but-is-barred-from-national-charts/ - A song created using artificial intelligence has become one of the most streamed tracks in Sweden while being excluded from the country’s official music charts, highlighting growing tension over how AI-generated music is classified and credited. The track, titled 'I Know, You’re Not Mine' (Jag vet, du är inte min), has drawn millions of listens but was blocked after industry bodies determined it was mainly generated by AI. The folk-pop song sits at the top of Spotify’s playlist of Sweden’s most popular tracks. It is performed by an artist called Jacub, who has no public performance history, tour schedule, or established social media presence. The singer is a digital creation rather than a human performer.
https://world.infonasional.com/sweden-removes-ai-song-chart - A popular song has been removed from Sweden’s official music chart after it was revealed that the artist, “Jacub,” was actually an AI creation. The song, “I Know, You’re Not Mine” (or “Jag Vet, Du Är Inte Min” in Swedish), had gained significant traction on streaming platforms like Spotify, even reaching the top of their rankings. However, Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish chart compiled by IFPI Sweden, decided to exclude the track upon learning about its AI origins. This decision highlights the growing debate surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in music creation. Ludvig Werber, the chief executive of IFPI Sweden, explained the rationale behind the exclusion. “Our rule is that if it is a song that is mainly AI-generated, it does not have the right to be on the top list,” he stated. “I Know, You’re Not Mine” is described as an acoustic guitar-driven folk-pop song. Jacub's Spotify profile features a sketch of a bearded man wearing a T-shirt. The song has been streamed more than 5 million times globally, including 200,000 plays in Sweden. It is part of a six-track EP called “Kärleken är Bränd,” or Love is Burned.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/does-not-top-list-sweden-083941779.html - One of the biggest songs of the year so far in Sweden has been banned from the country’s charts after it was revealed as being AI-generated. The track is Jag Vet, Du Ar Inte Min, or I Know You’re Not Mine, and it’s amassed more than 5 million Spotify streams catapulting it into the charts. It’s credited to an artist called Jacub. However, it soon became clear that with no social media profile, media appearances or tour dates, there was something fishy about Jacub. It has taken an investigative journalist to get to the bottom of the mystery. The hack in question, one Emanuel Karlsten, began digging and found that the song was registered to Stellar Music, a Danish music publishing and marketing firm. Karlsten worked out that the producers of the track (if you can call them that) worked in Stellar’s AI department. Eventually, they issued an email fessing up. "We are not an anonymous tech company that just 'pressed a button,'" they wrote. "The team behind Jacub consists of experienced music creators, songwriters, and producers who have invested a lot of time, care, emotions, and financial resources." They described AI as a "tool" or an "assisting instrument" within a "human-controlled creative process… Jacub is an artistic project developed and carried by a team of human songwriters, producers, and creators. The feelings, stories, and experiences in the music are real because they come from real people." In which case, employ a real person to sing it, you might well say. Anyway, Team Jacub’s explanation hasn’t impressed the Swedish music industry body, the IFPI, whose head Ludwig Werner said: "Our rule is that if it is a song that is mainly AI-generated, it does not have the right to be on the top list."
https://www.myjoyonline.com/song-banned-from-swedish-charts-for-being-ai-creation/ - A song which has been streamed millions of times in Sweden has been banned from that country's music charts because it was created by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Called I know, You're Not Mine - Jag vet, du är inte min - it is currently top of the Spotify playlist of Sweden's most popular songs. But the singer is a digital creation, and the country's music industry body has blocked the track from its official chart listings. It's a folk-pop song telling a melancholic story of lost love. Backed by a finger-picked acoustic guitar melody, it weaves a tale of late-night heartbreak, broken promises and shattered hopes. "Your steps in the night, I hear them go," sings the artist known as Jacub in a haunting voice. "We stood in the rain at your gate and ran out, and everything went fast. Now I know you are not mine, your promises came to nothing."

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The earliest known publication date for this narrative is January 16, 2026, with multiple reputable sources reporting on the event around that time. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/p/x46mvt?utm_source=openai)) The content appears original and not recycled from other sources. However, the presence of multiple articles from various outlets suggests a rapid dissemination of the information, which may indicate a press release origin. ([digitalmarketreports.com](https://digitalmarketreports.com/news/59015/ai-created-song-tops-spotify-in-sweden-but-is-barred-from-national-charts/?utm_source=openai))

Quotes check

Score: 7

Notes: Direct quotes from the producers of the track, referred to as "Team Jacub," are consistent across multiple sources. ([digitalmarketreports.com](https://digitalmarketreports.com/news/59015/ai-created-song-tops-spotify-in-sweden-but-is-barred-from-national-charts/?utm_source=openai)) However, the exact wording of these quotes varies slightly between articles, raising concerns about potential paraphrasing or misquotation. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/p/x46mvt?utm_source=openai))

Source reliability

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative is reported by reputable news outlets such as The Guardian and MusicRadar, which are known for their journalistic standards. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/p/x46mvt?utm_source=openai)) However, the presence of multiple articles from various outlets suggests a rapid dissemination of the information, which may indicate a press release origin. ([digitalmarketreports.com](https://digitalmarketreports.com/news/59015/ai-created-song-tops-spotify-in-sweden-but-is-barred-from-national-charts/?utm_source=openai))

Plausability check

Score: 9

Notes: The claims about the song "I Know, You're Not Mine" being AI-generated and subsequently banned from Swedish charts are plausible and align with current industry discussions on AI in music. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/p/x46mvt?utm_source=openai)) The involvement of Stellar Music's AI department in the creation process adds credibility to the narrative. ([digitalmarketreports.com](https://digitalmarketreports.com/news/59015/ai-created-song-tops-spotify-in-sweden-but-is-barred-from-national-charts/?utm_source=openai))

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: The narrative presents a plausible and timely account of an AI-generated song being banned from Swedish charts, supported by multiple reputable sources. However, slight variations in quoted material and the rapid dissemination of the information suggest reliance on a common origin, possibly a press release, which may affect the independence of the verification process. ([digitalmarketreports.com](https://digitalmarketreports.com/news/59015/ai-created-song-tops-spotify-in-sweden-but-is-barred-from-national-charts/?utm_source=openai))

AI-generated music
Music charts controversy
Music industry regulation