Podcaster Joe Rogan had a particularly controversial episode that left some artists ready to pull their music from the streaming platform Spotify.
Rogan released an episode from his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” in which scientist Dr. Robert Malone revealed his insight on COVID-19.
Malone made several claims regarding the COVID-19 vaccination and mask-wearing. He believes a “third of the population [is] basically being hypnotized” to follow public health advice and/or receive the vaccine.
He also added, “When you have a society that has become decoupled from each other and has free-floating anxiety in a sense that things don’t make sense, we can’t understand it, and then their attention gets focused by a leader or a series of events on one small point, just like hypnosis, they literally become hypnotized and can be led anywhere.”
After the podcast episode was published, it encountered much criticism for the scientist’s opinions. Singer-songwriter Neil Young had Spotify to pull his music from the platform. In a letter posted on his website, he expressed concerns about spreading “misinformation” on Rogan’s podcast.
He was also worried about the younger generation listening to Malone’s accusations and believing it because it was on Spotify, and they would “never present grossly unfactual information.”
Young adds that he could no longer allow his music to remain on the platform. “I realized I could not continue to support Spotify’s life-threatening misinformation to the music-loving public,” he said.
The Candian-American singer also encourages other artists to remove their music from Spotify. “I sincerely hope that other artists and record companies will move off the Spotify platform and stop supporting Spotify’s deadly misinformation about Covid,” said the musician.
Shortly after, Grammy-winning songwriter Joni Mitchell jumped on the bandwagon. On January 28, she took to her website to say, “I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”
In the wake of Spotify’s backlash, Joe Rogan posted on his Instagram page to address the situation. “Neil Young has removed his music from the platform of Spotify, and Joni Mitchell and apparently some other people want to as well. I’m very sorry that they feel that way. I most certainly don’t want that,” he said.
He also states that Spotify would like to place a COVID disclaimer at the beginning of his debatable episodes. He thinks it would be great to speak with experts with various opinions on the podcast as well.
Rogan goes on to express his gratitude to the platform, “I want to thank Spotify for being so supportive during this time, and I’m very sorry that this is happening to them and that they’re taking so much heat from it.”
Additionally, he shares that he is a Neil Young fan and recalls a story of when he was a 19-year-old security guard at the artist’s concert.