Joni Mitchell's Removing Her Music From Spotify: 'I Stand With Neil Young!'
Joni Mitchell follows in Neil Young's footsteps and pulls her music from Spotify amid their stance over the platform siding with Joe Rogan's podcast.
The Canadian singer-songwriter posted a brief statement Friday on her website with the headline "I Stand With Neil Young!" She wrote, "I've decided to remove all my music from Spotify."
"Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives," the statement continued. "I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue."
In referencing the global scientific and medical communities, Mitchell, best known for her classic "Big Yellow Taxi" and "A Case of You," was referring to the more than 200 scientists, medical professionals and science communicators who signed an open letter asking the platform to stop spreading Rogan's "baseless conspiracy theories."
"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Rogan has repeatedly spread misleading and false claims on his podcast, provoking distrust in science and medicine," the letter read in part. "... 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."
Mitchell's decision comes one day after Young removed his music from Spotify. The 76-year-old musician had penned a letter telling the platform to choose between his music catalogue and Rogan's podcast. Spotify opted to side with Rogan. After being fed up with Rogan's "fake information about vaccines" amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Young presented the request.
In a statement to, The Washington Post, a Spotify spokesperson said in part, "We regret Neil's decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon."
Young's music has since found a new home -- SiriusXM. It's unclear which platform will land Mitchell's music catalogue. Still, millions of listeners are at stake here, what with Young (6 million) and Mitchell (3.7 million) having nearly 10 million combined monthly listeners on Spotify.
There were also rumours Barry Manilow was also getting ready to pull his catalogue from Spotify. Still, the musician poured cold water, saying, in a statement to ET, he didn't "know where [the rumour] started, but it didn't start with me or anyone who represents me."
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