Google's AI Can Now Compose Personalized Lunar New Year Songs — But Should It?

Google has introduced a new Gemini app experience that lets users create personalized 30-second musical tracks to celebrate the Lunar New Year — specifically the Year of the Fire Horse in 2026. Built on the newly released Lyria 3 model, the feature turns traditional holiday greetings into AI-generated songs with custom cover art. It's available in select Asian markets until March 3.

How It Works

The process starts with a banner inside the Gemini app. Users tap "Try it," then provide the recipient's name, a personal message, and details about their hobbies or quirks. They choose from genres like Rock, Ballad, Chinese Classical, R&B, Jazz, Mandopop-Trap, or Luk Thung. Gemini then composes original lyrics, generates a 30-second audio track, and creates custom "Year of the Fire Horse" cover art in traditional red and gold motifs.

Once the track is ready, users can export it directly to WhatsApp, WeChat, KakaoTalk, or iMessage. For users outside the supported regions, Google provides a copy-paste prompt that triggers the same experience manually.

The Skeptical Take

On paper, this is a clever use of AI music generation — turning a cultural celebration into a personalized experience rather than just another chatbot demo. The genre selection is genuinely diverse, and the integration with messaging apps means the output actually goes somewhere instead of sitting in a chat window.

But there's something inherently awkward about outsourcing a personal greeting to AI. The entire appeal of a Lunar New Year message is that it comes from you — your words, your sentiment, your effort. Having Gemini compose lyrics about your cousin's love of badminton and set it to Mandopop-Trap is technically personalized, but it's personalized the way a mail merge is personalized. The AI did the creative work; you just filled in the form fields.

Limited Availability

The feature is only available in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, and Mongolia — and only until March 3. This narrow window and regional restriction suggest Google is treating this as a seasonal experiment rather than a lasting product feature. Whether Lyria 3's music generation becomes a permanent fixture in Gemini remains to be seen.

The Bottom Line

Google's Lyria 3 Lunar New Year experience is a well-executed seasonal AI demo. The technology works, the cultural tie-in is thoughtful, and the messaging app integration makes it practical. But the fundamental question remains: is an AI-composed song a genuine personal gesture, or is it the digital equivalent of a store-bought card where someone else wrote the poem? The answer probably depends on whether your recipient knows you used AI.