Breaking Rust

Breaking Rust is an AI-generated country music artist created in 2025 by songwriter Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor.^[2][3] The act gained prominence with the release of the Resilient EP in October 2025, featuring singles such as "Walk My Walk" and "Livin' on Borrowed Time".^[4] "Walk My Walk" topped the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart, the first AI-generated country song to do so.^[5] Breaking Rust has amassed nearly 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 35,000 followers on Instagram, where he represents himself with AI-generated cowboy persona.^[3][4]

Breaking Rust
An AI-generated image used to represent the artist[1]
Background information
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer musician
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	2025–present
Website	www.instagram.com/breakinrust/

Background and creation

Breaking Rust was developed using generative artificial intelligence tools to produce vocals, instrumentation, and lyrics, with no human performers involved.^[2][3] The project is credited to Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor, an obscure figure with limited online presence prior to the act's launch.^[4][6] Taylor previously created music under the alias Defbeatsai, focusing on explicit, AI-generated country tracks in the style of Wheeler Walker Jr.^[3]

The act's persona is represented through AI-generated imagery, depicting a rugged cowboy in dystopian settings.^[4] No registrations for Breaking Rust or Taylor appear in performing rights organizations BMI and ASCAP.^[3]

Music and discography

The act's debut release, the Resilient EP, was issued in October 2025 and includes eight tracks available on platforms Spotify and Apple Music.^[4][7] Notable singles include:

• "Walk My Walk" (2025) – Over 3.3 million streams on Spotify.
• "Livin' on Borrowed Time" (2025) – Over 4.3 million streams on Spotify.
• "Whiskey Don't Talk Back" (2025)
• "Kicking Back at the Ground" (2025)
• "Love Don't Live Here" (2025)
• "Time Don't Stop" (2025)
• "The One's You Trust" (2025)

Chart performance

Breaking Rust debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart dated November 1, 2025, driven by "Walk My Walk" and "Livin' on Borrowed Time".^[5] "Walk My Walk" reached No. 1 on the Country Digital Song Sales chart with approximately 3,000 units sold.^[3][2] It also topped Spotify's Viral 50 USA playlist, surpassing streams of established artists like Zach Bryan and Lainey Wilson.^[4] "Livin' on Borrowed Time" peaked at No. 2 on the same playlist.^[4]

Billboard has stated that in recent months, at least six AI artists have made it into Billboard rankings.^[5][2]

Reception

Aaron Ryan of Whiskey Riff noted the track's appeal, describing it as "groovy" and reminiscent of classic country, yet expressed concern over its synthetic origins.^[8] In a separate NPR interview, Ryan argued that AI erodes the genre's emphasis on authenticity, drawing parallels to the backlash against Randy Travis's AI-assisted vocal release in 2024.^[2] Public discourse on social media has amplified the controversy, with fans unaware of the AI aspect until media coverage.^[4]

See also

• Xania Monet, an AI-generated gospel and R&B singer.