Antares becomes available for stand-alone purchase.
Cher releases her hit song "Believe," becoming the first artist to use Auto-Tune as a prominent feature on a pop record.
Eifel 65's international Europop hit "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" drops in the U.S. The song makes prominent use of overtly auto-tuned vocals.
Auto-tune becomes a popular part of the production toolkit for country music. In Kid Rock's "Only God Knows Why," auto-tune is used to smooth out the vocals.
French house duo make use of auto-tuned vocals on their single "One More Time"
Electronic Music Duo Frou Frou's single "Let Go" makes heavy use of autotuned vocals to express themes of disaffection, depression and despair. This track can, in a sense, be seen as the prototype for future uses of the software in service of existential angst.
On June 29, 2004, Akon's debut album Trouble dropped. As Telegraph critic Neil McCormick notes, Akon makes use of Auto-Tune in his live & produced efforts. This moderation of, as McCormick notes, an otherwise talented vocalist marks the use of Auto-Tune not only as a point of access, but as a tool of perfection.
On August 9, T-Pain's first single from his debut album "Rappa Ternt Sanga" dropped. The song peaked at #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart, earning T-Pain his first top-10 single. His success on "Rappa Ternt Sanga" set the stage for future Auto-Tune songs. Read more to learn about T-Pain and Auto-Tune
As part of the retro-style in this music video, Snoop Dogg pays homage to Robert Troutman.
Lil Wayne uses Auto-Tune on "Me & My Drank" to mimetic effect, the clicking between notes emulating the psychological effects of promethazine codeine (his drank).
T-Pain and Lil' Wayne collaborate to produce "Can't Believe It." The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, solidifying T-Pain's status as hit-maker.
On his 3rd album, 808's and Heartbreaks, Kanye West uses Auto-Tune to express the emotional alienation of heartbreak, a new turn for the software. His first single "Love Lockdown," is emblematic of this aesthetic.
The second single from "808's and Heartbreak." Here West laments the breakup with his girlfriend, ultimately deciding that "he lost his soul to a woman so heartless."
Two Disconsolate Robots connect to write a hauntingly despondent track.
Bon Iver releases "Blood Bank" featuring the song "Woods." The song was constructed using layered vocals heavily manipulated with Auto-Tune.
On Jamie Foxx's single "Blame It," Foxx makes use of Auto-Tune to similar effect as Lil' Wayne. What is most interesting about this track is that the song enacts a duet between T-Pain, who only sings with Auto-Tune and Jamie Foxx, who has an established career without Auto-Tuned vocals. Foxx's natural vocal talents lend credibility to the idea that Auto-Tune is not only a crutch or a method of access, but also an artistic tool.
Major Lazer tries something a little different on this song, sampling baby cries run through the Auto-Tune software. "Baby" appeared on Major Lazer's first full-length EP, "Guns Don't Kill People...Lazers Do."
The French-American pop artist Uffie based many of her lyrics and video imagery on 1980's hip-hop track, "Top Billin'."
From Cher onward, Auto-Tune can be found in pop vocals, but for the purpose of polishing "natural" vocals rather than consciously non-human sounds. "California Gurls" by Katy Perry is a textbook example.
Mr. West samples Bon Iver's Auto-Tuned track in "Lost in the World." West's version incorporates elements of house music, heightening the impact of Bon Iver's robotic crooning.
Artist T-Pain sues the inventor of auto-tune Antares over the illegal use of his voice.
A member of Glory Boys Entertainment (along with Chief Keef and Lil' Reese), Lil' Durk released this song as his first single. The video features clips of Lil' Durk traveling his neighborhood in Chicago and also moments in the studio recording.
Chief Keef's song "Ballin" off of his second album, "Finally Rich" makes use of Auto-Tune in a new subgenre of hip hop in Chicago, drill.
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