Special rebroadcasts: AI song tops the charts; Rochester welcomes new "third places"
By Evan Dawson, Megan Mack, Julie Williams
December 19, 2025 at 8:00 AM EST
12:00: Special rebroadcast — AI song tops the charts; what does that mean for the future of music?
1:00: Special rebroadcast — Nightlife without alcohol: Rochester welcomes new "third places"
We bring you special rebroadcasts today on "Connections with Evan Dawson."
A song that recently topped a country music chart is sparking debate. "Walk My Walk" by Breaking Rust was the number one song on Billboard's Country Digital Song Sales chart last week. If you haven't heard of Breaking Rust, you're not alone. It's an AI act, and "Walk My Walk" is an AI-generated song. Billboard has acknowledged that Breaking Rust is one of seven AI-driven acts to chart over the past two months. What does this mean for human artists and human-created songs? Should AI music be considered in the rankings? For many listeners, it's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between human and AI-generated content. This hour, we discuss what it all means for the future of the industry and our listening experience in this special rebroadcast. Our guests:
1:00: Special rebroadcast — Nightlife without alcohol: Rochester welcomes new "third places"
We bring you special rebroadcasts today on "Connections with Evan Dawson."
A song that recently topped a country music chart is sparking debate. "Walk My Walk" by Breaking Rust was the number one song on Billboard's Country Digital Song Sales chart last week. If you haven't heard of Breaking Rust, you're not alone. It's an AI act, and "Walk My Walk" is an AI-generated song. Billboard has acknowledged that Breaking Rust is one of seven AI-driven acts to chart over the past two months. What does this mean for human artists and human-created songs? Should AI music be considered in the rankings? For many listeners, it's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between human and AI-generated content. This hour, we discuss what it all means for the future of the industry and our listening experience in this special rebroadcast. Our guests:
- Sarah De Vallière, composer and singer-songwriter
- Jimmie Highsmith Jr., Grammy-nominated musician and CEO/managing partner of Xperience Live Music Group LLC
- Patrick Hosken, arts reporter for CITY Magazine
- Bob Hartman, co-owner of AltBar
- Shelley Elkovich, CEO, founder, and "flavor maven" of For Bitter For Worse