SINCE the 1960s, Neil Young has been known for his musical talent, lyricism, and strong opinions.
On Monday, January 24, 2022, the 76-year-old singer requested Spotify take his music off of their platform as a protest to a podcast the streaming service exclusively offers.
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Which celebrities have had their music pulled from Spotify?
Neil Young
Born on November 12, 1945, Neil Young is a singer, musician, and songwriter.
His musical career began in the 1960s, after he moved to Los Angeles and joined a band.
With 27 Grammy nominations, Young has won two of the coveted awards.
Joni Mitchell
Born on November 7, 1943, Joni Mitchell is a singer, songwriter, and painter.
She’s known for her intense lyricism, often focusing on social ideals and womanhood.
Nils Lofgren
Born on June 21, 1951, Nils Lofgren is a rock musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
He performs as both a solo artist and as a bandmate; having worked with Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band, Neil Young’s Crazy Horse, and Grin.
India Arie
Born on October 3, 1975, India Arie is a singer and songwriter.
With 23 Grammy nominations throughout her career, India Arie has earned four of the awards.
She’s sold over 10million records worldwide.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash were a folk rock band consisting of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash.
Neil Young also appeared as a member of the group from time to time.
Failure
Los Angeles-based alternative rock band, Failure, was popular in the 1990s before reuniting in 2014.
Throughout their career, Failure has released six full-length albums, as well as five EPs.
What other celebrities have removed content from Spotify?
Roxane Gay
Born on October 15, 1974, Roxane Gay is a writer, professor, editor, and social commentator.
She’s especially known for her essay collection entitled Bad Feminist.
Gay has worked on a number of magazines, books, and websites, and launched the Hear To Slay podcast alongside Tressie McMillan Cottom in 2019.
Brené Brown
Born on November 18, 1965, Brené Brown is a research professor, lecturer, author, and podcast host.
In 2010, Brown rose to fame following a TED Talk she delivered on the “power of vulnerability,” and has gone on to publish multiple New York Times best sellers.
She is also the host of two podcasts: Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead.
Mary Trump
Born on May 3, 1965, Mary Trump is the niece of former President Donald Trump, and is both a psychologist and author.
In 2020, she released a book about the Trump family: Too Much and Never Enough.
She is also host of The Mary Trump Show, a political podcast.
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Why are celebrities boycotting Spotify?
“They can have Rogan or Young. Not both,” Neil Young wrote in a now-deleted letter published to his personal website.
The Rogan in question is one of Spotify’s most popular podcasters, Joe Rogan.
Due to Rogan’s opinions on the Covid-19 pandemic, science, vaccinations, and race; a slew of celebrities have started to remove their music and other content from the streaming platform.
“I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” Young wrote.
His claim came just days after an open letter to Spotify was published by a group of over 260 scientists, medical professionals, and professors, informing the service of the adverse effects misleading information regarding the pandemic may have on the public.
“…the [Joe Rogan Experience] has a concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic,” the letter reads.
“This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform,” the letter continued.
Singer and podcaster India Arie added to the discourse, writing: “I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons OTHER than his Covid interviews… ITS ALSO his language around race,” via Instagram.
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