What happens when an airport starts playing AI-generated music? (New release: Music For The Airport)

Announcing AGS-100 (our 100th release!) — Music For The Airport, a compilation of 17 songs from Hawaii selected by Aloha Got Soul. 

Here's the backstory: 

There are 17 AI-created songs that play from 5am to 10pm at Honolulu's international airport, alongside music by humans like Genoa Keawe or the Makaha Sons. The AI “Hawaiian” songs include some Hawaiian words in its lyrics, like kupuna, ohana, aloha, and mahalo… which, by some accounts, might categorize it as "Hawaiian music". But is it so?

My first reaction, like many who heard the news when Civil Beat reported it in late-April 2026, was that Hawaii is home to countless musicians, all who are endlessly creative, all who would be more than willing to write original songs for Hawaii’s busiest place. Why not hire real, human musicians to write "airport themed" songs for HNL? 

And then I started thinking: the airport is the first place most people will see—and hear—when they arrive in Hawaii. According to the airport's website, it welcomes more than 21 million travelers a year. That is a lot of people listening to AI-generated music representing Hawaii. What does that do to the musical identity of our islands? 

Using AI music is, in my opinion, the same as creating AI imagery of our islands. It would be absurd if the airport started using scenic “photos” of Diamond Head, Waikiki, Hanalei, Haleakala, all created by AI. Imagine heading to baggage claim only to be greeted by a massive AI-generated image of the Na Pali Coast. Unreal, right? Welcome to Hawaii. 

The Honolulu airport is a special place for me because every time I arrive, I revel in the sounds of the birds singing and the warm trade winds breeze. It's the most beautiful welcome home one could ask for. So of course I was shocked and disappointed to hear that HNL is playing AI-generated music. I don't want to hear that when I come home.

The time I traveled to London in 2022, I bought the cheapest route I could find with airline miles. It was cheap—$223 roundtrip!—but it was grueling. I departed Honolulu in the afternoon, arriving in San Jose at 11pm with a layover until 6am the next morning. Then, I'd fly to LAX and finally to London Heathrow. Was the cost worth it? Financially, yes. But my layover at San Jose Airport was one of the most uncomfortable experiences I've ever had. Why? Because of the music. 

I don’t mind smooth jazz. San Jose is, according to their announcements over the airport speakers, West Coast's capital of smooth jazz. Soon after my evening arrival, the music quickly lost its charm. No one was in the airport from midnight to 5am, but the music kept blaring. I had to tolerate it until my flight in the morning.

Airports don’t need music. In Helsinki, where I eventually travelled to to during that same London trip in 2022, the absence of music is welcome. In a harried, hurried place like an airport where travelers are often scrambling to get to their gate or impatiently waiting in some form, music can be more stimulation than what we need in that moment. This is why Brian Eno created his genre-defying album, Ambient 1: Music For Airports. He wanted to provide an alternative to the airport environment, one that is calming, not anxiety-inducing.

In Hawaii, music is everywhere. Of course there will be music at the airport. For generations, there's been hula dancers and Hawaiian musicians stationed at airports across the isles to greet travelers arriving from around the world. If you're lucky, you can still encounter dancers and musicians today. Which is why I was so shocked and felt such a strong distaste when I learned that the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is playing AI-generated music over its speakers. 

I heard the news on Monday and quickly began brainstorming what to do. Soon, I realized that compiling 17 songs — the same number of tracks as the AI-generated songs currently playing at HNL — and presenting them as a compilation was the best way Aloha Got Soul could respond. 

I started digging through our catalog of licensed music which we haven’t yet re-released and quickly realized this was our chance to highlight some of favorite songs from the so-called "CD era", primarily the 1990s and 2000s (with a few exceptions). In less than 20 minutes—whilst cooking dinner and tidying my apartment—I had pulled 17 original songs recorded by local artists between 1984 and 2017.

The speed at which this project came together surprised myself and the AGS team (shouts to Oliver and Johnal!). Roughly four days from initial idea to final product, we had a double LP to offer the world. (Reactionary gut instinct often produces swift and lasting results.) Ironically, our new compilation likely took less time than it did for the state Department of Transportation to commission its AI songs in question.

The truth, however, is that this collection of 17 songs is the result of years of hard work, trust, sacrifice, patience, and understanding. Building relationships with and licensing music from artists doesn’t happen overnight, but more importantly: these songs are the result of musicians who have poured their hearts and souls into something they believe in. This music wouldn’t exist today without the artists and their loved ones who supported them along the way.   

I am pleased to share with you 'Music For The Airport', a compilation of music we'd like to hear at the airport. I hope you find as much joy in this compilation as we have. Perhaps it’ll soundtrack your next journey to Hawaii. At the very least, we hope some people take a moment to hear these songs: in your headphones for now‚ maybe someday overhead at HNL.  

Listen now >> https://alohagotsoul.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-the-airport