Joni Mitchell joins Neil Young’s Spotify protest
over anti-vax content
Mitchell calls for her music to be removed from
platform too, citing ‘irresponsible people spreading lies’
‘Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are
costing people their lives,’ Mitchell said in a message posted on her website.
Harriet
Sherwood Arts and culture correspondent
@harrietsherwood
Sat 29 Jan
2022 04.52 EST
In an act
of solidarity between two veteran rock stars with a shared history of espousing
progressive causes, Joni Mitchell has joined Neil Young in removing her music
from Spotify in protest at it hosting a popular anti-vax podcast.
Mitchell,
whose album 1971 Blue is regarded as one of the greatest of all time, is the
first high-profile musician to take a stand alongside Young against the
streaming behemoth.
“Irresponsible
people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives,” she said in a
message posted on her website. “I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the
global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”
Spotify
began removing Young’s music from its platform after he issued an ultimatum to
the company. Referring to controversial podcasts by the comedian Joe Rogan
hosted by Spotify, Young said: “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”
Spotify
made a swift choice, triggering a storm over anti-vaccine conspiracy theories,
cancel culture and the policing of social media.
Many of
Young’s fans and supporters of his stance called for a boycott of the streaming
platform, and for other artists to follow his lead. “I stand with Neil Young”
and “#CancelSpotify” became rallying calls on social media.
Young
accused Spotify of “spreading fake information about vaccines” through the Joe
Rogan Experience podcast, which has an estimated audience of 11 million. He
said: “I want all my music off their platform.”
Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization chief, thanked the veteran
rock star for “standing up against misinformation and inaccuracies” around
Covid vaccinations.
Spotify
said it regretted Young’s decision but hoped “to welcome him back soon”. It
signed a $100m deal with Rogan in 2020 for the podcast.
Young and
Mitchell, both septuagenarian Canadians, have been friends for more than half a
century. One of Young’s greatest songs, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, was
apparently written for his former bandmate Graham Nash, who was grieving over
the end of his relationship with Mitchell.
According
to Mitchell’s Spotify page, she has 3.7 million monthly listeners to her music.
Her songs Big Yellow Taxi and A Case of You have each been streamed more than
100m times on the service.
In a
message on his website on Friday, Young said he “felt better” for leaving
Spotify. “Private companies have the right to choose what they profit from,
just as I can choose not to have my music support a platform that disseminates
harmful information,” he wrote. “I am happy and proud to stand in solidarity
with the frontline healthcare workers who risk their lives every day to help
others.”
Meanwhile,
Barry Manilow denied he would follow Young’s lead in removing his music from
Spotify. The 78-year-old singer wrote on Twitter: “I recently heard a rumour
about me and Spotify. I don’t know where it started, but it didn’t start with
me or anyone who represents me.”
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