Wu Lyf has pulled their latest single, “A New Life Is Coming,” from Spotify, citing concerns over the streaming serviceS CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in AI military drone technology.
Wu Lyf removed their latest song from Spotify due to the CEO’s investment in AI weaponry.
- Wu Lyf removed “A New Life Is Coming” from Spotify.
- The decision stems from Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in AI military drone tech.
- Other bands like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Xiu Xiu, and deerhoof have also removed music from Spotify for similar reasons.
- This follows past controversies involving Ek’s comments on content creation costs and spotify’s profit reports.
The band announced the removal on worldunite.org for their members, noting its importance from the initial creative spark.
This move places Wu Lyf alongside other artists who have voiced opposition to spotify’s practices. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Xiu Xiu, and Deerhoof have also withdrawn their music from the platform. Deerhoof explicitly stated, “We don’t wont our music killing people. We don’t want our success being tied to AI battle tech.”
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard frontman Stu Mackenzie echoed this sentiment,saying,”We’ve been saying fuck Spotify for years.” He clarified that while he doesn’t see himself as an activist, the band prefers their music not be on the platform currently.
The music industry has seen ongoing debate about streaming platforms. In 2024, Daniel Ek faced backlash for comments suggesting content creation costs are “close to zero.” Many musicians and users found these remarks out of touch. Ek later apologized, clarifying he didn’t intend to dismiss artists’ struggles.
This controversy was amplified when it was revealed that the company reported over €1 billion in profits, even as it laid off staff and raised subscription prices. Additionally, the platform faced criticism for demonetizing songs with fewer than 1,000 streams, making it harder for emerging artists to earn royalties.
