Another rock star wants music off Spotify in vaccines stand

Canadian Grammy-award-winning singer and songwriter, Joni Mitchell, has decided to remove her music from one of the most popular streaming platforms, Spotify. The decision comes as an apparent protest against the service hosting a podcast by US comedian Joe Rogan, who she believes to be popularizing anti-vaccination views.

“Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives,” the 78-year-old rock star wrote on her website on Friday, announcing she wants “all” her music off the platform. While she didn’t specify Rogan’s podcast, the musician explained she stands “in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities.”

Earlier this week, Young openly criticized Spotify for hosting the controversial podcast, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’. “They can have Rogan or Young – not both,” the legendary rocker said as he quit the platform. He accused Spotify not only of spreading “harmful” Covid information, but also of providing poor sound quality.

Young has called on others to join the standoff, with the #CancelSpotify hashtag trending on social media. 

The streaming service has a $100 million deal with Rogan, whose production became Spotify’s number-one podcast last year. According to Mitchell’s page on the platform, which is still available, some 3.7 million people use the service every month to listen to her music.