Lorde publicly torches Spotify's AI 'About the Song' feature
Lorde went after Spotify’s AI “About the Song” feature in an Instagram Story on July 16, 2026, after the tool published incorrect context about one of her songs. Her verdict, posted to millions of followers: “I’m going to go out on a limb and say we don’t want this.”
The feature, in limited beta since February, scrapes third-party sources online and compiles an AI-generated summary of a song’s background right inside the app. For Lorde’s track, the summary described a song it plainly wasn’t, per Digital Music News.
Not only is this inaccurate, but reducing a song to an AI-generated meaning right at the source feels like it limits free interpretation. At least make it possible for artists to opt out please.
A Spotify spokesperson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter the text has “been removed.” The feature itself stays live, and there is still no artist opt-out.
Why Lorde’s Spotify callout lands harder than the usual AI complaint
Lorde’s post names the exact failure mode of generative summaries: confident, wrong, and attached to the artist’s own work at the point of listening. A hallucinated blurb under a song reaches every listener who taps it, and the artist finds out last.
She joins a growing list of major artists going public. SZA recently condemned AI companies scraping her music, and Spotify keeps shipping AI surfaces anyway, from AI-narrated magazine articles to the new Talk to Spotify assistant. The platform’s AI music policy has moved repeatedly; artist control over AI-generated context has not arrived with it.
Frequently asked questions
What did Lorde say about Spotify's About the Song feature?
In an Instagram Story on July 16, 2026, Lorde wrote she would go out on a limb and say artists don't want the feature. She called the AI-generated description of her song inaccurate, said it limits free interpretation, and asked Spotify to let artists opt out.
What is Spotify's AI About the Song feature?
About the Song is a beta feature Spotify began rolling out in limited release in February 2026. It uses AI to compile background and context about a track by scraping third-party sources online, then displays the summary next to the song.
Can artists opt out of Spotify's About the Song feature?
No. Spotify has not offered artists an opt-out from About the Song. An opt-out is exactly what Lorde requested in her July 2026 Instagram Story, and Spotify has not responded to the request publicly.
Did Spotify remove the AI description Lorde criticized?
Yes. A Spotify spokesperson confirmed the inaccurate About the Song text on Lorde's track has been removed. The feature itself remains live in beta.
About the author
Covering AI music tools, industry shifts, and news for music creators and professionals. Twice-weekly newsletter at aimusicpreneur.com.
