Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), many companies have dropped or denounced any affiliation with the controversial artist. However, the music industry has remained relatively silent on the matter.
Despite fashion partners Gap and adidas severing ties with Ye, streaming services Apple Music and Spotify have not removed his music from their platforms. Spotify CEO did publicly denounce Ye’s anti-Semitic comments but stated that the music would remain on the platform. Apple Music removed Ye’s “Kanye West Essentials Playlist” but has not removed any of his individual tracks.
One exception was Joyner Lucas’ single “Ye Not Crazy,” which was removed from both Apple Music and Spotify earlier this year. While the song still appears on Spotify, it cannot be played.
The music industry’s response to the ongoing controversy surrounding Ye highlights the continued debate over whether an artist’s personal views or behavior should affect their art and the industry’s willingness to separate the two.
Spotify
Can you give me some more context to work with? Is there a specific event or controversy you are referring to, or are you asking about the general practice of music streaming services deciding which songs to keep on their platforms?
