stayc main image

The Creative Act: Rick Rubin’s Knowledge Turned Into A Book

February 17, 2023

What happens when a famous music producer takes an interest in self-help books? The Creative Act is your answer. But who is Rick Rubin? Without a doubt, Rubin has an impressive track record in the

Read more
stayc main image

Behind the Music: The Audio Engineer

February 14, 2023

The music industry is a place full of musicians, producers, and creators who have the magical ability to make those perfect sounds we hear everyday through our digital devices. We want to listen close

Read more
stayc main image

Koji Kondo: Nintendo’s Melody Maestro

February 14, 2023

What do popular video games franchises Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox all have in common? They were all produced and published by Nintendo, and the iconic music themes that you hear in...

Read more
stayc main image

Taylor Swift on Industry Sexism and Music Rights

February 8, 2023

Being a successful woman in the music industry is no easy feat. Not only do they deal with the typical trials and tribulations of being a musician, but there are also gender-specific challenges.

Read more
stayc main image

What’s the Ideal Length for a Single— Are Songs Getting Shorter?

February 8, 2023

“Is it just me, or are songs getting shorter these days?” This is a question I have often pondered, especially in the last few years. It appears that in the era of social media, attention spans are

Read more
stayc main image

SG Lewis: Who Is He - and What’s Next For This Rising Star?

February 6, 2023

SG Lewis (Samuel George Lewis) is a rising star in the dance/electronic music realm. He is a DJ/producer turned singer-songwriter, and is known for his disco-inspired, transcendent sound. He routinely

Read more
stayc main image

Lessons to Learn From the Launch Of Sam Smith’s “Unholy”

February 4, 2023

Sam Smith just released their new album “Gloria” on the 27th of January. As described by Pitchfork, “Gloria flips between hyperpop, country, dancehall, disco, 2-step, and intimate, Kehlani-esque R&B”.

Read more
stayc main image

Are Virtual Idols the Future of Music?

February 5, 2023

Virtual reality and the metaverse have become popular topics in the music industry where more and more technology and music have been combined, creating something that could revolutionize the entire

Read more
stayc main image

Grammy Awards Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical: The Category Songwriters Deserve

February 5, 2023

The 65th annual GRAMMY Awards are here, and there's a long-awaited addition to the awards. This year marks the introduction of a new category: the Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical Award. For all

Read more
stayc main image

How Zach Bryan’s Authenticity Makes His Music So Appealing, Even to Non-Country Fans

January 31, 2023

Zach Bryan released his first album in 2019, and in the short time since he has become one of the biggest names in country. His biggest album, “American Heartbreak”, broke single-day album streaming

Read more
stayc main image

Miley Cyrus is Going to Take Over Pop in 2023

January 31, 2023

Miley Cyrus was born into the music industry, and has spent her career channelling her Nashville and Hollywood roots into a diverse discography stacked with hits. Add to that countless covers that are

Read more
stayc main image

Why This Pop-Rock Band Got Hate For Starting On YouTube

January 31, 2023

Before the invention of TikTok, many music artists gained popularity through YouTube. However, similar to the TikTok stars of today, people in the music industry saw ‘YouTube bands’ as lesser because

Read more

Xiu Xiu Pulls Music from Spotify Over AI Investments; It’s a Bold Stand

Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet

Why This Isn't Just Another Band Getting off of Spotify

The experimental rock group Xiu Xiu formally declared that they would be removing their music from Spotify in response to the platform's investment in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered combat drones.They wrote on Instagram: "Spotify invests in AI war drones with music money." This action puts them in line with Deerhoof, another group that withdrew following the disclosure of Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, investing €600 million in the military technology firm, Helsing.

What's Actually at Risk

  • The investment from Spotify was made through Ek's fund, Prima Materia, a private investment firm which spearheaded a €600 million round for Helsing, a business that develops AI-powered military software used in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
  • Removal is underway, according to Xiu Xiu, but they issued a warning about "procedural complications." In protest, they asked fans to cancel their subscriptions.

This is about moral integrity, not money. These musicians are taking a radical stance, believing that music should not be used to finance weapons.

Fans and Social Media React
  • On Instagram and X (Twitter), fans voiced concern:
    “Xiu Xiu taking their music off Spotify… I respect them for this, but of course nothing will change unless it’s someone like Taylor Swift threatening to remove their music from the platform..”
  • Reddit threads question whether such pullouts could spark broader artist boycotts; but others worry it won’t move Spotify’s needle.

This isn’t the first time artists have taken a stand. Taylor Swift famously pulled her music from Spotify years ago, demanding fairer pay structures. While she later returned, the move sparked global conversations about streaming ethics. Yet without widespread support from other major artists, little structural change followed.

Why This Is Important to Us All

  1. Money vs. Art: Listeners are forced to decide whether to support platforms that use AI that is funded by the military as a result of this incident.
  2. New Resistance: Leading grassroots ethical action in music, Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof are trailblazers rather than well-known artists.
  3. What Will Be Spotify's Next Step? Are other artists going to follow?

Final Take

Xiu Xiu’s decision to leave Spotify isn’t a publicity stunt, it’s a principled move. It’s a moral stand. They’re sparking a conversation about what streaming supports, and showing that even smaller artists can demand accountability.

Xiu Xiu Pulls Music from Spotify Over AI Investments; It’s a Bold Standxiu-xiu-pulls-music-from-spotify-over-ai-investments-its-a-bold-standLienor KatasJul 27, 2025The experimental rock group Xiu Xiu formally declared that they would be removing their music from Spotify in response to the platform's investment in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered combat...