Legendary producer Timbaland has officially debuted his first AI artist, TaTa, through her vibrant new music video for the song “Glitch x Pulse.” Released on Friday, October 10, the visual showcases Timbo’s Stage Zero signee in a futuristic, Matrix-esque landscape, featuring appearances from the iconic dance crew The Jabbawockeez and Timbaland himself. The video kicks off with TaTa delivering incendiary bars over Timbaland’s minimalist 808 beats, before a quick beatbox break from the producer shifts the tempo, transitioning the track into a melodic pop song.

This debut marks a significant step for Timbaland’s AI entertainment company, Stage Zero, which he announced in June. Timbaland, a Grammy Award-winning producer, is overseeing the majority of the production for this innovative venture, aiming to merge artificial intelligence with real-life creators to craft immersive experiences. In a statement to Billboard, Timbaland emphasized, “At Stage Zero we are merging AI with real life creators and creatives to create an immersive experience. This music video is just the beginning of how we are blending the worlds together.”

Timbaland has coined a new genre for this initiative, dubbing it “A-Pop.” He clarified TaTa’s unique identity, stating, “I’m not just producing tracks anymore. I’m producing systems, stories, and stars from scratch. [TaTa] is not an avatar. She is not a character. TaTa is a living, learning, autonomous music artist built with AI. TaTa is the start of something bigger. She’s the first artist of a new generation. A-Pop is the next cultural evolution, and TaTa is its first icon.”

Timbaland has been a vocal proponent of AI in the music industry, viewing it as a powerful tool that significantly accelerates the creative process. In an April interview with Billboard, he described AI as an “unbelievable tool” that has transformed his workflow, stating, “What used to take me three months only takes me two days.” He further noted that the current technology is perfectly suited for this evolution in music creation, moving past an initial phase where it felt like a novel toy to become an essential part of artistic development.