Sylvan Esso Is Pulling Its Catalog From Spotify
Sylvan Esso removed their music from Spotify to protest CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in an AI weapons firm; 'WDID' is their first new single in three years.
- On Tuesday, Sylvan Esso released WDID, their first new single in three years, and announced removing their music from Spotify, the streaming platform.
- The decision followed revelations that Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invested $1 billion in Helsing, a European defense startup with AI focus, prompting artists including Massive Attack and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard to leave.
- On their own Psychic Hotline label, the duo released WDID, their first single with a 123 physical edition due January 9 featuring the b-side Keep On.
- Pulling their catalog will wipe the duo's streaming footprint from Spotify, as Sylvan Esso confirmed the new track won't appear on the platform despite nearly one billion streams and two-time Grammy nominations.
- The band framed their exit by saying, `a store that, in addition to all its other glaring flaws, directly funds war machines,` and announced Daniel Ek will step down as CEO to become executive chairman, with Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström named co-CEOs.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Sylvan Esso on Why They Pulled Their Music From Spotify
The band Sylvan Esso has removed its music from Spotify in protest of the company’s exploitative practices. In an exclusive interview with Jacobin, they explain their reasoning — and why the move feels so good even though it’s financially risky. “In our wildest hopes, our decision might be one of the many dominoes that fall that make Spotify not the biggest streaming company in the world anymore,” says Nick Sanborn, pictured above with Amelia M…
Local Pop Duo Sylvan Esso Removes Music From Spotify, Releases New Single
Durham-based electropop duo Sylvan Esso made a twofold announcement Tuesday. They both released their latest single in three years, and removed their discography from Spotify. “As we prepare to release new music, we have to decide what we want to be a part of and what we don’t,” the band said in a statement. “To that end, with Sylvan Esso being on our own label for the first time, we have decided to remove our music from Spotify. While no soluti…
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