Madonna rework accused of using AI hits number one on Australian Radio Charts

An upbeat, housey rework of Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’ which has been accused of utilising artificial intelligence, has reached the number one spot on Australia’s National Radio Airplay Chart this week.

Josh Fawaz, a Yugambeh Land/Gold Coast-based producer and DJ, has shot to the top of the charts with the remix. It’s just one of many featured on his 14-track debut album ‘Dance Like Nobody's Watching’, released late last month.

Alongside ‘Like A Prayer’, a two-minute-long song which doesn’t credit a vocalist on its listing on streaming services, Fawaz’s album is entirely made up of songs heavily utilising popular lyrics, including from ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Return of the Mac’, ‘No Scrubs’, ‘Sexual Healing, ‘Girls Wanna Have Fun’, and others.

Critics have alleged that the use of artificial intelligence is “blatant,” citing not only the lack of credit for the song’s vocals but also a "low effort" feeling, the songs’ lengths, and Fawaz’s recent output as evidence.

In a video shared to Instagram last month, producer Needs No Sleep pointed to a song Fawaz released on Beatport earlier in 2026 and contrasted it with his recent release. “It’s not the same producer at all. Not even remotely close,” he commented. The producer also pointed to Fawaz’s lack of transparency regarding his production tactics as another reason for scepticism.

In a comment on that video, Fawaz responded, sharing, “...I use ai as a tool it’s not that deep, iv been releasing music way before AI was invented. What I care about it providing my listeners with good music…”

Mixmag ANZ reached out to Josh Fawaz for comment on his use of AI, but had received no response at the time of publishing.

A post shared by Needs No Sleep (@needsnosleep_)

The label behind the track, Hallwood Media, is “a one-stop for merchandise design, production, and fulfilment,” founded in 2020 by Neil Jacobson, the former President of Universal Music Group’s Geffen Records. A variety of other UMG, TikTok, and Spotify C-Suite alumni are now also a part of its staff.

Hallwood Media was one of several companies that raised a $250 million USD investment into controversial AI music generator Suno in November of last year. In that same month, Warner Music Group, the label that owns the rights to Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’, entered into a partnership with Suno.

The often illegal training of generative AI models on existing music has been a widely debated topic in recent weeks, with U.S. publication The Atlantic launching a search tool to help musicians find out if their music has been used. In response to local instances of this, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s favourite bands have begged him to stop AI companies from stealing their work, a request highlighted in a piece in The Guardian.

Some services are beginning to take matters into their own hands, with Tidal sharing last week that it would automatically tag AI-generated music and block it from receiving revenue, in an effort to protect the rights of human artists.

Last week, a group of musicians, creatives and industry leaders gathered at Parliament House to call on the government to legislate for artificial intelligence companies to enter into agreements with artists whose work they train their AI models on. At the time, Mahalia Barnes said, “This is not just data. This is truly art. This is our culture, it’s the essence of our nation… Artists can never be replaced by technology and AI because art is essentially about humanity.”

Regardless of these conversations, Fawaz’s song is being fully supported by commercial radio stations, including the Nova Network, Local Sounds radio, KIIS Dance and others. Bella Frizza, a host on Sunshine Coast’s Sea FM, shared a video of herself applauding the energy of the song, while appearing to hedge ethical bets by sharing the caption, “Apparently Josh Fawaz, Like a Prayer vocals is AI? Can someone confirm?”

Beyond the radio, Fawaz has seen placement on ARIA’s Dance charts, peaking at number one in the week beginning July 6, 2026, and at number two on the Australian singles chart.

The popularity of Fawaz's song may, to many, seem like a conversation not worth having. But the support it is receiving from commercial entities points to a broader trend shaping the future of Australian music. When an artist can sidestep questions about how their music is produced and rework other people's art so heavily, it raises a real question: why would music executives continue to pay for anything else?

To listeners with an ear for electronic music, Fawaz's work might appear as a questionable attempt at mimicry. To those without that background, it could read as a fun, harmless and upbeat take on a song they already know. That gap is clearly the crux of the issue, one that music fans and producers alike will need to reckon with.

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Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Editor. Find him on Instagram.