Liza Minnelli AI Song 2026: Legend Defends AI Use in First Release in 13 Years

EGOT legend Liza Minnelli isn't letting "trolls" ruin her big comeback. After a 13-year hiatus from releasing new music, the stage and screen icon returned on January 21, 2026, with an EDM track titled "Kids Wait Till You Hear This." However, the celebration was quickly met with backlash as fans discovered the song's association with ElevenLabs, a prominent AI voice platform.

Liza Minnelli AI Song 2026: Clarifying Arrangements vs. Vocals

Taking to Facebook to set the record straight, Minnelli clarified that while the track features AI, it's not what critics think. "What I will not allow this great company to do? Create, clone or copy my voice!" she stated. According to Minnelli, the collaboration used AI arrangements, not AI-generated vocals. The 80-year-old star insisted that the shout-outs and vocals are 100% hers, urging her 400,000 followers to "shake your pretty buns to the music."

The track is part of 'The Eleven Album,' a project by $6 billion tech giant ElevenLabs, which also features artists like Art Garfunkel. Minnelli noted that early investors like Matthew McConaughey show the platform's credibility. For her, the move is about reclaiming control over her artistic output—something her famous parents, Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, often lacked in the traditional studio system.

A Landmark Release for the Digital Era

This marks Minnelli's first full single since her collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys era, pivoting back to a high-energy dance sound. Beyond the technology, the song serves as a teaser for her upcoming memoir. ElevenLabs described the release as a "landmark musical release" intended to explore the synergy between human artists and AI tools.