2008 Woodie Awards
Simpson to Hire Singing Robot
Citing need for increased rest and relaxation, pop star enlists the help of Microsoft.
Katie Pederson
Issue date: 4/1/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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The robot, code name "IMPOSTER" (Imitation Music Performer Obviously Sounds Terrible- Expect Replica), will take Simpson's place on tour, performing all the artist's songs in concert and is set to make live appearances on the Today Show Live, Live with Regis and Kelly, and Saturday Night Live to perform several songs.
Simpson told Star Magazine on Tuesday that the addition of IMPOSTER was a personal artistic decision that would allow her the time to recover from her recent bout of sickness that effected her singing voice that ultimately resulted in numerous televised mishaps where she was caught lip syncing to her own music. Simpson's record company, who was at first hesitant to bring in artificial intelligence, has conceded that Microsoft now has the capability to fabricate IMPOSTER's intelligence to quadruple that of their artist. Management has said that they now feel the cost of IMPOSTER's production is justified, and will be funded with the money originally set aside for future ProTools dubbing and voice over projects for Simpson.
IMPOSTER will instead remove all doubt that Simpson could and would actually sing her own songs, and management feels it will resolve all issues surrounding the dubbed-over performances, as the robot is said by critics to actually look more life-like and on-beat than Simpson herself. Rumors are also circulating that Simpson, along with sponsorship from MTV, may be looking into further robot production to take the singer's place on her MTV reality show after MTV was recently heard to say that Simpson's real-life reality was just too "fake."
Regardless, Simpson says she hopes to use all the free time that IMPOSTER will provide to work on her forthcoming two-album project. The new albums, aptly titled "Grammy Winner When Hell Freezes Over" and "I'll Sing When Pigs Fly," are set to release to the public in the fall of 2005 and include several duet tracks with the album's co-producers, the re-united eighties mega act Milli Vanilli.