You may remember that in Part 2 of this series on Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Gospel Music, I linked to an example of a song titled “Cheese Pizza Delight” that I generated in an app called Suno after entering just three words. That song demonstrated just how simplistic and lame Suno’s AI can be if you rely on it entirely for lyrics.

In Part 5, I am going to provide links to several songs I’ve generated in Suno over the past few weeks along with details of just how much direct input I put into each one. (These may not be potential hits, but I hope they’re a bit better than “Cheese Pizza Delight.”)

KIDS SCRIPTURE MEMORY SONGS
I have created several songs in Suno that I plan to teach to the children’s choir at my church in the coming months to help them memorize scripture verses. These are “hybrids” in terms of originality. I entered the lyrics I wanted to use along with style prompts, then Suno came up with the melodies and chords. I partly wrote these songs, in other words, and partly produced them.
1. “John 1:1 and 14”-Click HERE to hear what Suno generated based on the following style prompts: “A simple ballad opens with solo piano and children’s voices carrying the verses, Gradually, warm multi-part harmonies and playful percussion join in, introducing a Beatles-inspired, nostalgic texture, The song gently swells, layering melodic bass and light acoustic accents in the final chorus.” (Note that Suno didn’t entirely follow my instructions, as there is a male adult singer “carrying the verses” rather than children’s voices.)
2. “Psalm 33:3 & 4”-Click HERE to hear what Suno generated after I gave it the following style prompts: “A groovy funk groove kicks in with syncopated bass, vibrant electric guitar licks, punchy brass stabs, and energetic claps, Kids’ group vocals layer in the chorus, with call-and-response verses and fun rhythmic chants, building a playful, danceable atmosphere.”
3. “The Books Of The Bible”-Click HERE to hear what Suno generated after I gave it the following style prompts: “Verses unfold with expressive lead vocals immediately echoed by a vibrant, harmonized children’s chorus, creating dynamic call-and-response, Pulsating synths drive the rhythm, providing an energetic backbone, while subtle electronic textures fill the space between vocal exchanges.”

This process is hit and miss. I had Suno generate a version, tweaked the style prompts to get it closer to what I had in mind, then typically rinsed and repeated several times until I heard a version I liked. From there, I could further modify specific lines within the song until I was satisfied.

THE FIRST AND FINAL WORD
Click HERE to hear “The First And Final Word.” Like the children’s songs above, I wrote 100% of the lyrics, then relied on Suno to follow my prompts to generate melody and chords in the very specific style I had in mind. 

SING
One of the greatest features of AI is that it allows you to explore how your song can sound over a wide array of musical styles. If you’re using it as a songwriting tool to create a demo, you get to try as many options as you want. Here are some variations of my original song titled “Sing” that I used Suno AI to cover in different styles.

Both the lyrics AND the music for “Sing” were 100% written by me, by the way. I uploaded my demo and asked Suno to cover it in various styles that I specified.

1. DEMO-Click HERE to hear a portion of my original demo. This is what I uploaded to Suno to “teach” the song to the app.
2. COVER-Click HERE to hear Suno perform my song after I asked it to simply cover my original demo.
3. COUNTRY COVER-Click HERE to hear Suno perform my song after I gave it the following style prompts: “Starts with a punchy, percussive country rhythm: twangy electric guitar riffs, prominent snare, stomping kick, and tight bass keeping the drive relentless, Instrumental breaks offer occasional fiddle licks, The final chorus and tag transition to acoustic guitar, brushes on snare, and subdued dynamics.”
4. HARRY CONNICK JR. COVER (This is my favorite version)-Click HERE to hear Suno perform my song after I gave it the following style prompts: “Bold brass and woodwinds deliver syncopated hits over swinging upright bass and brushed drums, Jazzy piano and guitar comp throughout, with lush strings swelling in the choruses, Short, dazzling instrumental breaks punctuate smooth male vocals in a suave swing jazz setting.”
5. CECE WINANS COVER-Click HERE to hear Suno perform my song after I gave it the following style prompts: “A groove-driven soul track in the cece style, featuring a prominent B3 organ weaving energetic gospel riffs throughout, Female lead vocal, Tight pocket drums, syncopated bass, and crisp electric guitar create a vibrant foundation, while horns punctuate the chorus, Dynamic organ solos elevate the bridge.”
6. A CAPPELLA COVER-Click HERE to hear Suno perform my song after I gave it the following style prompts: “Male a cappella vocal band.”

YELLOW PICKUP TRUCK
1. Click HERE to hear a version of “Yellow Pickup Truck” I wrote, recorded, and released seven years ago.
2. COUNTRY COVER-Click HERE to hear Suno’s cover version. 
2. FOLK COVER-Click HERE to hear Suno’s cover version. (Suno had difficulty matching the melody precisely this time around. Harmony vocals in the demo tend to confuse it.)

As with “Sing,” both the lyrics AND the music were written by me.

SOMEDAY
Finally, HERE is Suno’s version of one of the first songs I ever wrote.

In 1995, it was recorded by Southern Sounds Quartet (my local group, not the Nashville-based Southern Sound that came later). I had a primitive home studio (yes, 30 years ago). We had no money to spend at a real studio. The tracks are MIDI and the vocals were recorded in a church classroom on dynamic Electro Voice N/D 257B microphones.

I uploaded that old recording for Suno to cover, changed one lyric line that I felt needed fixing (now that I have 30 years of hindsight), and gave it these style prompts: “This Southern gospel song spotlights a male quartet in tight four-part harmonies—clear, soaring tenor, expressive lead, rich baritone, resonant bass, Backed by light acoustic guitar, upright bass, and subtle piano, the country groove swings gently throughout, highlighting vocal interplay” (Note that Suno decided on its own to start a cappella.)

SUMMARY
As you have probably gathered, I could submit Suno-generated demos of my songs “Sing,” “Someday,” “Yellow Pickup Truck” and others where I wrote all the music and lyrics to the Southern Gospel publishers who issued the joint statement on Artificial Intelligence a few weeks ago. They’ve said they will consider songs where AI is only used to make a demo of an otherwise original song.

Those publishers, however, would reject all of my children’s songs, “The First And Final Word,” etc. because AI had a part in creating the melody.

Are the songs good quality or bad quality? That’s for others to say. The point is that they’re going to refuse to consider songs created in this manner regardless of whether any artist might want to record them.